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Book 



Gopi^htiJ". 



COFOilGHT DEPOSIT 




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JAPAN AND KOREA 



SCALE OF MILES 



50 100 200 
Railroaas, main lines 



LEY 4 POATES ENGR'S 1 



Greonwith Vii 



THE STORY OF JAPAN 



BY 



R. VAN BERGEN, M.A, 



m 



AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY 

NEW YORK .-. CINCINNATI/. CHICAGO 

BOSTON. -.ATLANTA 






^ ^^ ^ 



n 



Copyright, 1897, 1922, bt 
AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY 



STORY OF JAPAN 



MADE IN U. S. A. 



ADC 15 '22 



(g)Cl,A677855 



Co m2 %m 
EDGAR M. VAN BERGEN 

OF TIENTSIN, CHINA 

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED 

AS A TOKEN OF 

WELL-MERITED AFFECTION 



PREFACE 

Our nearest neighbor across the Pacific has been 
reckoned among the foremost nations of the earth 
ever since, in the late war with China, she humiliated 
that vast but inert empire. Japan will have a voice 
in the future destiny of Asiatic countries, and in that 
of the islands of the Pacific. 

Our schoolbooks on geography and general history 
touch but lightly upon the Japanese Empire, and it is 
for the purpose of enabling children to obtain a cor- 
rect idea of the people, and of the impulses leading 
to the rapid progress of the past quarter of a cen- 
tury, that "The Story of Japan" has been written. 

It was deemed essential to explain repeatedly the 
key to the history of Japan and to the reforms of our 
time, by noticing the overpowering influence of the 
samurai of old, who were and still are the makers of 
the nation. 

With a very few exceptions, the nobles of Japan 
have been wholly dependent upon their leading samu- 
rai, who, in turn, have been influenced by the ablest of 
their peers. Ever since the shoguns or regents trans- 
acted the affairs of the government, these samurai 

5 



have been the real rulers of the country. The people 
never had, nor have they now, a voice in public affairs. 
The shizoku or samurai, of whom there are four hun- 
dred thousand households in a population of almost 
forty-two millions, have absorbed all the offices, from 
that of cabinet minister to that of policeman, and the 
people are satisfied that it should be so, for the rule 
of the samurai has always been just. 

It was the lesson received at Kagoshima and Shi- 
monoseki that convinced the samurai of their inferi- 
ority to Americans and Europeans in warfare and 
engines of war, and there arose among them a great 
enthusiasm to master such knowledge as would enable 
them, in turn, to vanquish the foreigners. This was the 
motive of the reforms, and the same motive prompts 
every measure taken by the government to-day. It 
explains why fads have been discarded; why the 
people, after trying experiments in our modes of dress, 
diet, architecture, etc., have returned to their old cus- 
toms, retaining only such features of western civiliza- 
tion as have proved themselves useful to Japan. 

While the thread of historical events runs through- 
out this book, many incidents and characteristic stories 
have been cited to illustrate the manners and customs 
of the various periods. As the book is designed for 
children, the stories are clothed in simple form and 
language, which will, it is hoped, render them attrac- 
tive to the young mind. 



CONTENTS 

rAGB 

JiMMu, First Emperor of Japan 9 

Story of Yamato Dake 14 

Prince Bravest's Conquests 20 

First Invasion of Korea 24 

Buddhism brought to Japan . . . . . .29 

The Oldest Clans of Japan 37 

MiNAMOTO DEFEATS TAIRA 4I 

Story of "Young Ox" 47 

The Last of the Minamoto . . . . , -52 

An Independent TennO 56 

Christianity in Japan . . . . , . .63 

A Great General . . . . . . . . 68 

The Lord of the Golden Water Gourds ... 74 

Second Invasion of Korea 79 

The Three Hollyhock Leaves 86 

The Dutch in Japan . . . . . . . .95 

Persecutions of the Christians 104 

Restrictions of the. Dutch 109 



8 

PAGE 

A Visit to the Regent . . . . . . . . n8 

A Shrewd Judge 125 

Tosa's Revenge . . . 130 

A Wife's Noble Act 137 

The Forty-seven Ronin . 143 

Various Attempts to Trade with Japan • . . . .168 

A Russian Captive 174 

English Attempts to Trade with Japan . . . .181 
United States Seeks Trade with Japan . . . .191 
How Perry Secured a Treaty . . . . . .196 

Japan in Perry's Time . .207 

Japan Opened 214 

The Tokugawa Regents Step Out 230 

How A Samurai Committed Hara-kiri .... 235 

The Tenno Leaves His Seclusion 241 

Saigo Takamori 252 

Japan's Progress . , 259 

War with China ........ c 265 

MuTsuHiTO, Emperor of Japan 280 

The Rise of Mikadoism 285 

The Anglo-Japanese Alliance 394 

The Taisho Era . . . . - 397 

Index . . •••••«••• 304 



THE STORY OF JAPAN 



3j»?C 



HOW JIMMU WAS MADE THE FIRST 
EMPEROR OF JAPAN 

LONG, long ago, only a short time after the heavens 
had been separated from the earth, the sun god- 
dess looked down and saw that wicked people did much 
as they pleased. Now she was one of those women who 
liked to have order everywhere. So she made her son 
Ninigi (nee-nee-gee) a human being, sent him down to 
found a new race, and ordered him to see that his chil- 
dren and children's children should rule justly over the 
land she gave them, — and that land was Japan. 

Before Ninigi went down to the earth, his mother gave 
him three presents. The first was a mirror, which was an 
emblem of her own soul ; the second was a sword made by 
the gods themselves, so sharp that it could cut through 
almost anything ; and the third was a fine ball of crystal- 
So Ninigi came down and began his work. Of 
course, he had a good deal of trouble with his neigh- 
bors, who had not invited him and did not want him. 
But he knew that his mother was a goddess, and that 
therefore he had a right to rule over them. So whether 
they liked it or not, he made liimself king and punished 
them severely when they did not mind him, 

9 



lO 

After he had restored order, he married and settled 
down. He had several children, the oldest of whom 
was named Prince Light- the- Fire, and the youngest 
Prince Put-the- Fire-Out. Light-the-Fire was very fond 
of fishing, and his youngest brother became a great 
hunter. But one day Prince Light-the-Fire thought he 
would like to go hunting ; so he asked his brother to 
give him his bow and arrow, and promised in return to 
lend him his hook and line. Prince Put-the-Fire-Out 
agreed to this and went fishing, but unluckily he broke 
the line and lost the hook. He did not think it a serious 
mishap, and when he reached home, told his brother 
that he would give him a thousand fishhooks for the 
one he had lost. But Prince Light-the-Fire was very 
angry, and scolded so much that Prince Put-the-Fire- 
Out went to the seashore to escape his brother's wrath, 
and at the same time to think of what he should do. 

He was sitting on the beach, when he heard foot- 
steps behind him, and, turning round, saw a little 
weazen-faced old fell(3w, who asked him what he was 
doing there. Put-the-Fire-Out at once thought this 
must be some god who might give him good advice, 
so he told him what had happened. The old fellow, 
who was indeed one of the gods, took a fancy to 
the young prince. He told him that the best thing to 
do was to go to the sea god's palace, and gave him 
directions to enable him to find his way. "You will 
know the palace when you see it," said he, " for it is 
built of fish scales ; in front of the gate is a well, and 
near the well, a cassia tree. When you get there, you 
must climb the tree, and wait to see what happens." 



fl 

" Anything is better than to go back to my brother 
without his hook," thought Prince Put-the-Fire-Out ; so 
he built a boat, and sailed to the Under-the-Ground- 
Far-Away country, where the sea god lived. At last 
he saw the palace, and after hiding his boat, climbed 
the tree. He had not been there very long when a 
princess, daughter of the sea god, came to the well 
with a pitcher. She may have seen Prince Put-the- 
Fire-Out while he was climbing, or she may have ex- 
pected him. At any rate, she was not at all frightened, 
but offered him a drink of water. While she was draw- 
ing it, he took a jewel from his necklace and hid it in his 
mouth. She handed him the water and while he pre- 
tended to drink, he dropped the jewel into the pitcher. 
The princess saw it, and was so pleased that she invited 
him to come into the palace. 

She was pretty, and, of course, the prince married 
her. For three years he lived happily, and not even 
once did he think of his brother. But one day, quite 
suddenly, he remembered the lost fishhook, and thought 
of his brother's anger, and without knowing it, he 
sighed deeply. His friends, noticing his grief, ques- 
tioned him as to the cause, and thereupon he told his 
tale. When he had finished, the old sea god ordered 
all the fish to appear, and soon the hook was found in 
the throat of one of them, whence it was extracted with 
some difficulty. 

Prince Put-the-Fire-Out now wanted to go home on a 
visit and take the hook to his brother. His wife and 
his father-in-law had no objection, and the latter gave 
him as a farewell gift two jewels, telling him that if he 



12 

drew out the first the water would rise higher and higher 
until he put it away ; and if he held out the other, the 
water would run out until the sea itself was dry. With 
these two jewels, and a great many kind wishes from the 
people of the sea god, the prince returned to his home. 

Prince Light-the-Fire was not at all pleased when he 
saw Put-the-Fire-Out return, and did not seem to care 
even for the old fishhook. To rid himself of his 
brother, he tried to kill him ; but Prince Put-the-Fire- 
Out showed the flood jewel, and the water rose until 
Light-the-Fire was in danger of being drowned. Then 
he said he was very sorry that he had treated his 
younger brother so badly. "Call off the water." he 
cried, "and I will induce our father to make you his 
heir." 

Prince Put-the-Fire-Out agreed to this. He showed 
the other jewel until the water had gone down to the 
proper level, and his brother was saved. 

So Prince Put-the-Fire-Out succeeded Ninigi. He 
reigned five hundred years, and his son was the father 
of Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan. 

Now, although this story sounds like a fairy tale, most 
Japanese children and even many grown people believe 
it to be true. This is why they call their country 
Nippon (nee-pon), which means Sunrise Land, and their 
emperor Tenn6 (ten-noh), that is. Heaven Child, or 
Tenshi Sama (ten-shee sah-mah), which means Lord 
Heaven. And in many of their churches or temples 
they have a mirror, a sword, and a crystal ball, to 
remind them of the presents given by the sun goddess 
to the ancestor of the Tenn6. They look upon their 



13 

emperor as a god, and a Japanese would be punished 
quite severely if he should pass before a mirror in a 
temple, and not bow low before it. If you should go to 
Japan, you would not be expected to do this ; but you 
would have to be careful not to talk lightly of the 
Japanese beliefs, for these people are very proud of 
having an emperor who is descended from the sun 
goddess. 



THE STORY OF YAMATO DAKE 

EMPEROR JIMMU (jim-moo) had been dead a long 
time, and ten other Tennos had also been buried, 
when the Bravest of Warriors was born. He was the 
son of the twelfth Tenno, and was very handsome. 
Besides this, he was brave and quick-witted, so that his 
father had great confidence in him. When still a young 
man, he was ordered by the emperor to go to the island 
of Kiushiu (kyoo-shoo) to punish some people who had 
raised a rebellion. Before he went on board the ship 
that was to carry him across, his aunt, who was a 
priestess and very fond of her handsome nephew, gave 
him a queer-looking package, and told him not to open 
it until he was close to the rebel camp. 

The young prince set sail, and arrived safe and sound 
in Kiushiu. He lost no time in starting for the place 
where the rebels were said to have their camp. He did 
not take many armed men with him ; for he intended 
to pick a quarrel with the rebel chief and kill him. He 
knew that the rebels would submit as soon as their leader 
was slain. When he reached the mountains where they 
had their camp, he saw that it would be almost impos- 
sible to attack them, so strong was their position, and be 
did not know what to do. 

14 



15 

As he was thinking about it, making many plans, 
which he rejected on account of the risk their fulfillment 
would involve, his eye fell upon his aunt's mysterious 
package. ** Surely," he thought, " I am now close 
enough to the rebel camp to open it. Perhaps this gift 
will help me." So he carefully untied the package, and 
found therein a girl's dress. 

At first the prince did not know what to make of it, 
and perhaps he thought that his aunt had chosen an odd 
time to play a joke on him. But after a while he was 
struck with an idea, and the more he considered it, the 
better he liked it. So he laughed out heartily, and then, 
stretching himself under a tree, fell asleep. 

The next morning he called his trusty followers, and 
informed them that he would be absent for a few days ; 
he told them what to do and where to hide, that they 
might be within call, and march upon the camp at a 
given signal. When he was satisfied that his orders 
were fully understood, he plunged into the forest, carry- 
ing his sword and the girl's dress provided by his aunt. 
As soon as he was alone, he put on the dress, and hid 
his own clothes. When he looked into a brook, he saw 
a handsome girl, instead of the young warrior who had 
entered the glade. He chuckled as he saw himself so 
transformed, and, hiding his sword under his clothes 
assumed a girlish gait and walked slowly in the direc- 
tion of the rebel camp. 

The first day he did not meet anybody ; and he was 
rather glad, for it gave him time to practice a girl's 
ways and manners. The next morning, however, he 
met some men ; and from the respect paid to one of 



i6 

them, he knew that he must be the rebel chief. The 
young prince's heart began to beat fast ; and had his 
enemy been alone, he would have slain him at once. 
The chief came smilingly to meet the pretty girl and 
asked who she was and where she lived, but for 
answer he received only blushes and smiles. Never- 
theless the chief was well pleased when, after much 





^ 


i^t^^^^'^^s^ 



Early Japanese arms 

coaxing, the girl accepted an invitation to attend a 
banquet to be given the next day in his cave. 

The next day, the prince again put on the girl's 
dress, and he made up his mind that the time had 
come to kill the chief, and so put an end to the re- 
bellion. As he went on, thinking how he might lead 
to a quarrel, he did not forget to assume the shy airs 
of a girl. When the chief saw him coming through the 
forest, he went to meet his guest, and leading him into 



17 

the cave, invited him to sit beside him. When the ban- 
quet was at its height, the men grew quarrelsome and 
at last came to blows. This was what the prince had 
hoped for, and when the rebel chief arose to restore 
order, the prince drew his sword, and with one blow 
severed the chief's head from his body. In the con- 
fusion that followed, he gained the entrance to the 
cave, and gave the signal to his band. In a few 
moments the cave was surrounded and the rebels were 
captured. The men outside the cave, deprived of their 
leader, laid down their arms, and the rebellion was at 
an end. 

For this daring deed the prince was named Yamato 
Dake (yah-mah-toh dah-kay), or the Bravest of the 
Brave. We shall call him Bravest, which is shorter 
and means almost the same thing. For this prince had 
several other adventures which must be told here. 

After his return home, his father, the emperor, who 
was now a very old man, — a hundred and twenty 
years old, the Japanese books tell us, — was very much 
vexed because the people living to the east of his 
dominions would not become subject to him. So he 
asked Prince Bravest to take an army and conquer 
them. The prince gladly obeyed, and as the warriors 
all loved and trusted him, he had no difficulty in rais- 
ing troops. Before taking leave of his father, he went 
to bid good-by to his aunt. She made him a present of 
a wonderful sword called Cloud Cluster, because it had 
been taken in the clouds, from the tail of an eight- 
headed dragon that had been killed by one of the 
prince's many divine ancestors. Besides this, she gave 

STO. Of JAPAN — 2 



i8 



him a small bag, and told him not to open it except 
when in extreme danger. Prince Bravest thanked her, 
and after taking a respectful leave of his aged father, 
placed himself at the head of his army and marched 




Fuji Yama 

away. His wife had begged him so hard to let her 
go with him that at the last moment he consented. 

You have all heard or read in your geography of 
beautiful Fuji Yama (foo-jee yah-mah) or Fuji Moun- 



19 

tain, a high extinct volcano, standing out snow-clad 
against the deep blue sky. The Japanese delight in 
painting it, and on many a picture brought from that 
far-away land you will see a mountain resembling white 
old Fuji. It was in the plain at the foot of this moun- 
tain that the enemy had made a stand. Their spies 
had told them of the march of the Bravest, and as they 
preferred remaining independent even to being gov- 
erned by an emperor whose ancestor was a goddess, 
there was nothing to do but to fight for it. 

Prince Bravest went into camp, happy in the pros- 
pect of a battle, although the enemy greatly outnum- 
bered his army. In the morning he was awakened by 
the smell of smoke, and when daylight appeared he 
saw that the enemy had set fire to the long grass and 
bush of the plain. The situation of his army was now 
one of grave peril, and he thought of his aunt's bag. 

When he opened it, he found a flint and steel. This 
gave him an idea. Seizing his sword, he began to mow 
down the grass and bushes around the camp — an ex- 
ample that was speedily followed by his warriors. As 
soon as a sufficient space had been cleared, he made 
a counter fire, so that his army escaped without the 
loss of a man: When the fire was burnt out, and the 
smoke had cleared away, the enemy expected to find 
the burnt corpses of their invaders. But when they 
saw that the army of the Bravest had remained un- 
scathed, they ascribed this miracle to the intervention 
of the divine ancestors, and hastened to make peace 
by submitting to the emperor. 



PRINCE BRAVESrS CONQUESTS 

THERE are a great many Americans who visit 
Japan, for it is a beautiful country. Many of 
them land in Yokohama (yoh-koh-hah-mah), because 
that city is nearest to the Pacific coast. All the land 
around is a great plain, with here and there a hill. But 
if one goes by railroad toward the west, a few hours' 
ride will bring one to Odawara (oh-dah-wah-rah), at the 
foot of the Hakone (hah-koh-nay) range. In the sum- 
mer, when it is very hot in the plain, most of the for- 
eigners in Japan, and a great many Japanese as well, 
go to one of the many resorts in these mountains, where 
the scenery is so Igvely that every one who has been 
there longs to go again. On the top of the mountains 
is a fine lake named Hakone. It is quite large, and 
is supposed to be the crater of one of the extinct vol- 
canoes, of which there are a great many in Japan. 

Prince Bravest led his army over the Hakone Moun- 
tains, and entered the great plain at its eastern base. 
As he marched on, he came to a broad river empty- 
ing into the ocean close by; but now the god of the 
sea raised such a tempest that it was impossible to 
cross. Prince Bravest at first thought it was an ordi- 
nary storm ; but when several days passed and the 



21 

tempest did not abate, he suspected that it had been 
sent by one of the gods. He therefore ordered the 
priests to find out the cause of this unlucky weather, 
and they very soon told him that it was sent by the sea 
god, who thought himself abused by the army of the 
Bravest; and that his wrath could be appeased only by 
some person volunteering to drown himself. 

Here was a difficulty. There was not a warrior in 
the prince's army who would not gladly have risked his 
life in battle, even with a most powerful enemy ; and 
every man was ready to die by his own sword, if such 
a sacrifice should be necessary. But to die by drown- 
ing is so inglorious that the warriors looked at each 
other in silence, but not one volunteered. 

While the army was waiting and the prince was 
considering how he might overcome this unexpected 
difficulty, his wife could not help noticing that he was 
worried, and she soon found out the cause. She loved 
her husband and her country so dearly that she quickly 
decided to sacrifice herself. Quietly she set about mak- 
ing her preparations, and when she had arranged all her 
affairs, she went to the river, leaped in, and was drowned. 

The prince, deeply shocked at his wife's heroic death, 
did not notice the waters subsiding as a sign that the 
sea god's wrath had been appeased ; and he remained 
on the bank of the river, bewailing her loss. After 
seven days the comb which she had been wearing in 
her hair was washed ashore. By this time the prince 
was firmly convinced of his wife's death, and he gave 
orders to break up the camp. He kept the comb as 
a precious relic of his wife's love and devotion. 



22 

Prince Bravest crossed the river that had caused him 
so much wretchedness, and tried to forget his loss by 
pursuing the conquest with more zeal than ever. Some- 
times one god would help him and speed him on his 
way, and at other times he would be worried and op- 
posed by another. But he succeeded in his work, 
although it was three years before the eastern people 
would recognize the emperor as their master. , When 




Place where Prince Bravest's wife was drowned 



he turned homeward, he took a road more to the north 
than the one by which he had come. His army, on the 
march, reached a point from which they could see the 
unlucky river, and even the place where the prince had 
lost his wife. When the prince looked upon this spot, 
he said with a deep sigh, " Adzuma ! " (ad-zoo-mah), 
which means, " My wife ! " And so even to this day, 
Japanese poets speak of eastern Japan as Adzuma. 



23 

Some time ago, the Japanese government bought a 
man-of-war, the Stonewall^ from the United States. 
When this vessel arrived in Japan, its name was 
changed to Adztiina. 

Prince Bravest returned home, but he did not Hve 
long. He was changed, we are told, into a great white 
bird and flew to heaven. 

This is the story as it is told in Japanese books, and 
thus the children learn it as part of the history of their 
country. The truth is that in the beginning the em- 
peror reigned over only a small part of Japan. He 
conquered Kiushiu and a part of the center of Hondo. 
Afterwards he extended these conquests until the south 
of Hondo belonged to him. Yamato was the name first 
given to Japan, It will be v ell to remember this, for 
when I am telling you of the ;amous men of to-day, you 
will hear much of the Spirit i Old Japan, and the dar- 
ing deeds it has inspired. 



THE FIRST INVASION OF KOREA 

THE most famous empress of Japan was named 
Jingu (jin-goo). In her reign the Japanese were 
so strong that they began to look for other countries to 
conquer, and Empress Jingu thought Korea (koh-ree-ah) 
would be the easiest to take. 

If you look on the map, you will see to the west of 
Japan, and not far distant from the island of Kiushiu, 
a peninsula. On our maps it is called Korea, but the 
people who live in it have named it " Land of the Morn- 
ing Calm." This name is wholly undeserved ; for Korea 
is seldom at peace, being always disturbed by warfare 
either at home or "with some neighbor. It is a rich 
country, because the soil is fertile and produces heavy 
crops of rice, millet, etc. Besides this, the rivers con- 
tain much gold and the mountains are full of minerals. 
But the people are wretcliedly poor, because the officers 
rob them of all they have. 

For a very long time this people refused to have 
anything to do with us. They fired on our ships when 
near their coast, and it was not until 1882 that they 
consented to make a treaty with us. Since that time 
Americans have been allowed to live in Korea. Now, 
you might think from this that the Koreans are a brave 

24 



25 



people, but they are not. They do not like to fight, 
and besides they are very lazy. It is not often that 
you see them at work. They smoke long pipes, and 
lounge all day in the streets or on the roads, dressed in 
long white cotton garments, and stiff hats made of horse- 
hair. They manage to get just enough to live on, and 
that is all they care for, because they know that if 
they save anything, their officers will come and take 





^ 





War junks 

it from them. But it was not always thus. At the 
time that Empress Jingu thought of invading their 
country, the Koreans were great workers in wood and 
metals, and made many fine objects. They first taught 
the Japanese, but that people improved, while the 
Koreans have forgotten all they ever knew. 

After Empress Jingu had determined upon war with 
Korea, she did not lose any time in making her prepa- 



26 

rations. War junks were built, and a great army was 
raised. The soldiers were told to meet at the west 
coast of the island of Kiushiu, where they were to go 
on board. The empress herself was to take the com- 
mand, and she had no doubt that she would be able 
to seize Korea. 

She stood, you must know, in great favor with the 
Dragon King, who lived in the World Under the Sea, 
and she was confident that this powerful sea god would 
help her. To be sure, there might be some of the sea 
gods who would be favorable to the Koreans, but then 
the Dragon King was the most powerful, and he would 
know how to discover and set at naught any tricks 
these lesser gods might be inclined to play. 

And she was not mistaken. Before she embarked, 
the Dragon King presented her with two crystal balls, 
having exactly the same power as the jewels which 
Prince Put-the-Fire-Out had received from his father- 
in-law. If she threw one of them into the sea, the 
water would rise to a great height, and if she cast the 
other one in, the water would flow out again until 
the bed of the sea appeared. You may think that 
these would be rather dangerous toys to play with ; 
but Empress Jingu knew how to handle them, as you 
will hear. 

The fleet set sail, and had hardly lost sight of the 
land when a tempest arose, and the w^aves became 
threatening. This was, of course, caused by some sea 
god who favored the Koreans. But if Jingu's friend, 
the Dragon King, could not prevent such a mishap, he 
could at least see to it that no harm was done. So 



87 

he quietly ordered some large fish, such as sharks, pot» 
poises, etc., to harness themselves to Jingu's vessels, 
and tow them to Korea. It was no wonder, therefore, 
that, storm or no storm, the Japanese fleet arrived safe 
near the coast of Korea. 

The king of Korea had heard all about Jingu and 
her preparations, and was ready to meet her. He had 
drawn up his army on the beach, and was watching 
to see whether the Japanese would try to effect a land- 
ing. But Jingu knew what she was about. After her 
ships had been securely anchored, she gave the neces- 
sary orders, and warned her warriors not to be surprised 
at anything that might happen. When everything was 
ready, she dropped one of the crystal balls into the sea, 
and the water began to run out, until the ships stuck 
fast in the mud. 

When the king of Korea saw this, he thought that he 
had the Japanese at his mercy^ He gave orders to his 
army to charge, and they made straight for the enemy's 
vessels. When they were at some distance from the 
shore, Jingu dropped the other ball, and the water began 
to rush back. The Koreans had no time to reach either 
the dry land or the vessels, and their king saw his army 
drowned before his eyes, and his country at the mercy of 
his enemy. What could he do but submit ? Empress 
Jingu led her army in triumph to his capital, and the king 
was compelled to make peace on her terms. They were 
that the king must hand over to Japan eighty vessels 
loaded with gold, silver, and other valuables, and give 
hostages that he would pay her a tribute every year. 

Some people think that there is about as much truth 



28 

in the story of Empress Jingu and her invasion of 
Korea, as in that of the sun goddess and her son. But 
there- is one fact that is worth knowing, and that is that 
there is an extraordinary ebb and flood upon the Korean 
coast; in some places the water rises to a height of 
thirty-two feet, while at low tide, the ocean bed is dry 
for more than a mile from the shore. 

The Japanese claimed for a long time that this con- 
quest gave them a right upon the peninsula. And you 
will read later how this claim led to many a serious 
rebellion, and finally to the war with China. 



BUDDHISM BROUGHT TO JAPAN 





The first Japanese coins 



THE Japanese must believe that their emperor is 
a god. They are allowed to believe anything 
else besides this, and neither the emperor nor the 
government cares, so long as they remain faithful in 
that one point. When, therefore, missionaries from 
other countries come, 
they are allowed to 
preach whatever they 
please, but if any one 
should dare express a 
doubt about the em- 
peror's being a god, 
the punishment would be swift and sure. 

In the seventh century such missionaries came from 
Korea, and taught the Japanese how to work in metal 
and in wood, to make porcelain, and to ra.ise silkworms 
and make silk. The Japanese were very glad to learn 
all this, for they are an industrious people, and always 
glad to be taught anything that may benefit them. But 
some of these missionaries also preached a new religion, 
and told them that Buddha (boo-dah) was the greatest of 
all gods. Some of the Japanese liked this new religion, 
and became Buddhists, that is, believers in Buddha. 

29 



30 

This did not at all interfere with their belief in the 
emperor. The missionaries had brought with them 
images of Buddha, and they wanted temples in which 
to place them. So one nobleman gave them his house 
and they made a temple of it. But it happened that 
just then a pestilence swept over the country, and it 
was rumored that the emperor's ancestors, who had all 




Temple in Tokyo 

become gods, were angry at having a rival. So the 
people burned this new temple and flung the image 
of Buddha into the sea. But after that another pesti- 
lence broke out; and besides this, there was a severe 
earthquake, and a flood which drowned a great many 
people along the coast. This frightened the people, for 
they imagined that Buddha was angry. So they built a 
new temple, and afterwards a great many more. 



31 

Until the missicnaries came, the Japanese did not 
know how to read and write. The Koreans had learned 
these arts from the Chinese, and they now taught them 
to the people of Japan. Chinese writing is very difficult 
to learn ; for instead of having letters from which all 
words can be formed, the Chinese have a character 
for each separate word. But the Japanese are hard 
students and learn quickly, so they not only mastered 
the Chinese way of writing, but later went one step 
farther ; they modified the signs and made them stand 
for sounds, and now they have, in addition to their 
characters representing words, a syllabary or table of 
forty-seven signs for syllables. Books were brought 
over from Korea, and very soon the Japanese began to 
write the history of their country, a part of which I 
have told you. 

All this made great changes in Japan. Up to this 
time, every able-bodied man had been a warrior when- 
ever war broke out. But now only the strongest were 
taken, and the old and weak were left to till the rice 
fields or to engage in other business. The warriors 
were the most powerful of all the people. Next in rank 
came the farmers, then the mechanics, and last of all, 
the merchants or traders. 

But the greatest change was in the court of the 
emperor. There had been no war for some time, and 
the emperors having little to do, passed their time in 
reading the books brought over from Korea. That 
they might not be disturbed, they appointed ministers 
to attend to the collection of the taxes, to see that the 
people kept at their work, to protect the weak, and to 



32 

punish offenders. So, after some time, these ministers 
grew accustomed to have all the power, and when a 
new emperor ascended the throne who showed signs 
that he wanted to reign, himself, his ministers quickly 
had his head shaved ; that is, they made a Buddhist 
priest of him, shut him up in a convent or cloister, and 




Buddhist priests 

put his son, if he had any, or else some nephew or 
cousin, on the throne. 

The people did not know anything of what was 
going on in the big palace where the emperor lived. 
They were taught and believed firmly that he was a 
god, and his ministers took good care that he was never 
seen outside the walls around the palace grounds. If 
he ever did go out, he was placed in a sort of cage 
fastened to a bullock cart, and hidden from view by 



33 

bamboo curtains. The houses of each street through 
which he passed were ordered to be closed, and the 
windows covered with shutters; and those who hap- 



<> > y s y <> 




Emperor Kwammu 

pened to be in such a street were compelled to kneel 
down, their hands flat on the ground before them, and 
their heads bent low upon the hands. Most of the 
emperors from that time on were mere babies, who, as 

STO. OF JAPAN — ^^ 



34 

soon as they were old enough to show a will of their own, 
were quickly and quietly placed in a convent. But you 
will see, as we proceed, that the men who were in power 
did not use their authority to oppress the people and 
make themselves rich. They thought what they did 
was best for Japan, and they did not care for wealth. 

The first real capital was at Nara (nah-rah). If ever 
you visit Japan, you must not fail to make an excursion 
to this place, which is within a short distance of Kyoto 
(kee-yoh-toh) and Osaka (oh-sah-kah). It is situated in 
the south-central part of the island of Hondo, in a most 
beautiful spot, on the edge of a fertile plain surrounded 
by mountains. You may still see the long avenues of 
old trees, and some of the grand temples, once so plen- 
tiful, but now so few that the Japanese call them ** ruins 
among the rice fields." Those that are left have finely 
colored paintings and images of gilded bronze ; and 
near one of them is a huge statue of Buddha, also made 
of bronze. At eventide you will hear a loud and melo- 
dious booming. It fs from the great bell, struck at that 
time, and on calm days it can be heard at a distance of 
twenty miles. 

From Nara the capital was transferred to Kyoto, also 
in a most beautiful location. All foreigners coming to 
Japan are certain to visit that old city, which remained 
the capital until 1868. There they find not only a great 
number of temples, but streets with stores, where the 
finest products of Japanese art are for sale. There are 
dainty silks, beautifully carved metals, porcelain, — so 
thin that it is almost transparent, — and articles in 
lacquer ware, for which these people are famous all 



35 

over the world. And with all this, it is such a queer 
city ! There are houses nesthng on crags against the 
mountain side. And if you go at night near the dry 




The emperor's court 

bed of the river, you may witness a scene that seems 
as if taken from the Arabian Nights, — thousands of 
booths, each lit up with the many-colored paper lan- 
terns, a countless number of which seem to be flitting 



36 

to and fro. These lanterns are carried by people who 
go in and out of the booths, where they seem to be 
having a perpetual picnic. For the Japanese, when 
they go out after dark, always carry a lighted lantern, 
to prevent accidents. 

But now, as the court is established in quaint old 
Kyoto, I must tell you of the clans of Japan. 



THE OLDEST CLANS OF JAPAN 

IF an emperor had more than one son, the younger 
sons would, if they married and had children, be- 
come the founders of noble houses. Thus, in the 
course of time, a nobility was formed, the members of 
which were, or claimed to be, descendants of a former 
Tenno. And just as the nobles of Europe had a family 
coat of arms, so did the nobles of Japan adopt some 
flower or animal by which the members of their family 
or clan could be known. 

The three principal clans at this time were the Fuji- 
wara (foo-jee-wah-rah), whose emblem was the blue 
wistaria, the Minamoto (mee-nah-moh-toh) with the 
white gentian as emblem, and the Taira (ti-rah), whose 
coat of arms was a red butterfly. The head of each 
clan was usually called by the clan name. At first the 
Fujiwara clan held the power behind the throne and the 
head of this house was the man who for a long time 
selected the emperor or made him retire to a cloister, 
according to his docility in obeying the orders of the 
Fujiwara. All the offices among the people were occu- 
pied by members of this clan; that is, all the civil 
offices, for the army was in command of two other 
clans. The Minamoto clan were intrusted with the sub- 

37 



38 

duing of the independent tribes in the northern part of 
Hondo, and, after many years of fighting, succeeded. 
The Taira were engaged in destroying the pirates who 
infested the Inland Sea; that is, the sea between Hondo, 
Shikoku (shee-kohk), and Kiushiu. 

But after the pirates had disappeared and the whole 
of the island of Hondo had been brought under the 
rule of the Tenno, the Minamoto and Taira returned to 







An army crossing a ford 

the capital, and when they saw the influence and power 
of the Fujiwara, they became very jealous. Yet, so 
great was the respect for the dignity of the Tenno, that 
neither of the two great military clans, powerful and 
strong as they were, ventured to oppose the ruling clan. 
But in the twelfth century something happened that 
gave the Taira an opportunity to interfere, and swords 
flew out of their scabbards, and blood flowed, while the 



39 

country was first made acquainted with the horrors of a 
civil war. 

The emperor was dead. He had been a puppet in 
the hands of the Fujiwara, but on his deathbed he left 
the throne to his elder brother, instead of to his baby 
son. This did not suit the ruling clan at all, and they 
called upon the Minamoto to aid them in placing the 



1 ^^ 


tt 




^^^^H^H 


1 





An army crossing a mountain 

baby emperor upon the throne. But the brother of 
the late emperor insisted upon his rights, and asked the 
Taira to help him. The head of this clan, a very able 
and ambitious man, was but too anxious to secure the 
influence held by the Fujiwara by placing an emperor 
upon the throne. So a great battle was fought in 
Kyoto in which the Fujiwara and the Minamoto were 



40 

defeated, and the Taira secured the throne for the right 
ful heir. 

But as soon as they had succeeded in doing this, they 
locked the emperor up as tightly as the Fujiwara had 
done before ; and when the Tenno, who seems to have 
been really an able man, protested against this treat- 
ment, Taira had his head shaved, and sent him off to a 
cloister, after which he placed an eighteen-year-old boy 
upon the throne. 

Now, some of the members of the Minamoto clan 
had helped the Taira, because they were jealous of the 
power of the Fujiwara. But when Taira was in power, 
he acted with such cruelty against the Minamoto that 
the members of the two defeated clans entered, into a 
conspiracy against him. Taira, however, was wide 
awake. Long before all the plans of the conspirators 
were completed, the members of the Minamoto were 
attacked in the streets of Kyoto. No mercy was 
asked or given, and again blood flowed freely. Indeed, 
so well did Taira do his work, that he destroyed almost 
the entire clan of the Minamoto. The head of that 
unfortunate clan escaped for a short time, but was dis- 
covered by one of the Taira, and murdered. 

The new regent — for such he was in reality, because 
the emperor was not consulted in any act pertaining to 
the government — now discharged nearly all the officers 
of the Fujiwara, and filled their places with members 
of his own clan. The people were not consulted, and 
did not care much. For even at that time, while every 
clan liked to be in power, its members never sought 
office for gain but did their work honestly and well. 



MINAMOTO DEFEATS TAIRA 

TAIRA was established in Kyoto, and thought him- 
self pretty safe, — not wholly so, though, for two 
young sons of Minamoto had escaped, and so had one of 
his wives. He suspected, naturally, that the two chil- 




The hall in a Japanese palace 

dren would be with her, and to get them in his power 
he had the widow's mother arrested, and made it known 
far and near that she would be put to death unless her 
daughter came back and surrendered herself, 

4« 



42 

Now you must know that in Japan the highest and 
first duty of children is toward their parents. There 
are a great many instances of children who have sold 
themselves into slavery to save their parents from want. 
Indeed, the same thing happens often enough in these 
days, and the law allows it. The Japanese applaud 
these examples of filial piety. We, too, are taught the 
commandment, "Honor thy father and thy mother"; 
but we consider that other duties are as important, as, 
for instance, the duty of a father or a mother toward a 
child, or of a husband toward his wife. These are as 
nothing in Japan compared to the child's duty toward 
a parent. 

When the poor young widow heard of the arrest of 
her mother, she did not hesitate. One of the boys, 
Yoritomo, the head of the Minamoto, had been separated 
from her in the flight, and for all she knew he might 
have been captured or killed. In that event her son, 
Yoshitsune (yoh-shee-tsoo-nay) would become heir to 
the Minamoto, and with him that famous family would 
die out. She could not expect mercy from a man who 
had shown so much cruelty ; still she did not hesitate, 
but retraced her steps, and surrendered herself and 
her son to the Taira. ' 

In the meanwhile Yoritomo had wandered among the 
fugitives and pursuers. He was brought before a cap- 
tain of the victors, and the latter soon discovered who 
his young prisoner was. The capture was important, 
and the captain returned to Kyoto with his prisoner. 
Taira was about to give orders to put him to death, 
when his mother interfered, and asked him to spare the 



43 

child's life. Her request was granted, and Yoritomo 
was given to his captor, who took him to his home in 
the southern part of Japan. 

When Minamoto's widow was led before the victor, 
he was struck both with her beauty and her filial con- 
duct, and when, with tears in her eyes, she begged for 
the life of her child, he did not find it in his heart to 
refuse her. So he ordered the little boy to be taken 
to a convent, where, when he was old enough, his head 
was to be shaved and he was to be made a priest. 

Yoritomo grew up in the family of his captor, and 
became skillful in the exercises of the privileged class. 
He thought frequently of the misfortunes of his clan, 
and was forever planning schemes of revenge. His 
foster father had two daughters, and the more beautiful 
of the two he had promised to the son of a friend. 
Yoritomo and this girl fell in love with each other, and 
they decided to elope. As the girl was her father's 
favorite, she had no doubt that she would be forgiven. 
She was not mistaken ; for not only were the young 
couple kindly received when they returned, but the 
bride induced her father, Hojo (hoh-joh), to assist 
Yoritomo in his schemes. 

What had become in the meanwhile of Yoritomo's 
half-brother, Yoshitsune, who had been placed in the 
convent.? As he grew up, the priests gave him the 
nickname of "Young Ox," on account of his great 
strength. They had a hard time with him, for he did 
not mind them in the least. Although they could not 
keep him in check, and he was continually playing 
tricks upon them, they did not dare bring a complaint 



44 

before the regent. But when, at last, he made his 
escape in the company of a peddler, they were so glad 
to be rid of him that they did not try very hard to get 
him back. 

Young Ox made his way to the northern part of the^ 
island of Hondo, where he was taken into the service of 
the governor, one of the few Fujiwara men who had 
been kept in office. He grew up to be as brave as 
he was strong, and he, too, remembered the unhappy 
fate of his clan, and tried to communicate with all those 
who had been fortunate enough to escape the slaughter. 

Yoritomo himself was impatient to avenge his wrongs. 
After he had collected a small band, he made for the 
Hakone Mountains, not far from the place where Prince 
Bravest had lost his wife. But his plans had become 
known, and he was attacked and defeated by a strong 
force of the Taira. He sought safety in flight, hotly 
pursued by his enemies. When night fell, he found 
shelter in a hollow tree. He had been there but a 
short time, when a*band of the pursuers approached, 
and scattered to search the wood. One of them came 
near his tree, but seeing a wood pigeon fly from her 
nest, concluded that no one could be there because the 
bird had not been disturbed. 

When morning came, no enemy was to be seen, 
and Yoritomo continued his flight. After walking all 
day, he saw, just as it was getting dark, a little house. 
On entering, he found it tenanted by a priest, who 
scanned him closely, and gave him to understand that 
he suspected who he was. Upon this, Yoritomo took 
the priest into his confidence, and it was well that 



45 

he did so, for his host insisted upon his hiding in an 

obscure closet. During the night they were awakened 
by threatening voices, and when the priest opened the 
door, several Taira warriors inquired whether any stran- 
gers were in the house. The priest invited them to 
search for themselves, but after taking a cursory glance 
over the poor apartments, they continued their march. 

The next morning, after thanking his preserver, Yori- 
tomo made his way to a small peninsula, where he 
continued his plotting, and soon succeeded in collecting 
another band. Again he made for the Hakone Moun- 
tains, and once more he was defeated. But now the 
fame of his exploits had spread over the land, and when 
he withdrew again to the peninsula, large numbers of 
his own clan, who had kept in hiding, flocked to his 
standard, as well as many of the Fujiwara. 

Among the first to come was Young Ox, who led a 
strong force of able-bodied warriors whom he had col- 
lected in the north. The brothers were glad to see 
each other, though they did not show their feelings 
openly, since it is against the custom of the country to 
evince emotion. A cousin also brought a number of 
men, and Yoritomo now thought that he was strong 
enough to take the field. He divided his army into 
three parts. The van was placed in command of his 
cousin, and was stationed in the mountains between 
Kamakura (kah-mah'-koo-rah) and Kyoto ; the center 
under Young Ox held Kamakura, while Yoritomo him- 
self commanded the rear, and continued to enlist fresh 
arrivals. 

Before proceeding, I must tell you something about 



4^ 

Kamakurao It is only a short distance from Yokohama 
and can be reached by railroad. It is a lovely valley 
inclosed by mountains, but opening upon the sea. It 
contains several large Buddhist temples, and an im- 
mense bronze statue of Buddha which the Japanese 
call Dai Butsu (dl-boots), or Great Buddha. 

All this time Taira was gathering his clan to crush 
his opponent. He reproached himself bitterly for 
having spared the two boys, and finally fell sick. 
He grew worse and worse, and when he was convinced 
that he was dying, he called his son and said, " Do not 
waste any time on funeral ceremonies, or offer any 
sacrifices to me ; but cut off the head of Yoritomo and 
put it on my tomb." 

As soon as Yoritomo's cousin heard of the death of 
the regent, he set out for the capital, without waiting 
for instructions. The Taira troops were superioi in 
number, but they had not yet recovered from the con- 
fusion incident upon the death of their leader ; and when 
they were attacked under the walls of the city by the 
van of Yoritomo's army, the regent's troops wavered. 
Perceiving this, the assailants redoubled their efforts. 
It was as if every single warrior fancied himself the 
avenger of the wrongs suffered by his clan for so many 
years, and at last the regent's forces were routed. The 
capital was taken, and Taira fled, taking with him the 
young emperor and his mother. Yoritomo's cousin, 
however, found a seven-year-old brother of the emperor 
in the palace. He proclaimed this child emperor and 
appointed himself as regent, intending to secure the 
chieftainship of the Minamoto clan. 



THE STORY OF "YOUNG OX'* 

WHEN the young lord of the clan heard of the 
events that had taken place in the capital, he 
left the peninsula and marched upon Kamakura. Here 
he found Young Ox with the center of his army, and 
ordered him to go at once to Kyoto to punish their 
treacherous cousin. The latter was informed by spies 
of the approach of this army, and he led his victorious 
troops to a little village south of Kyoto on the Yodo 
(yoh-doh) River, and there awaited the attack. He had 
not long to wait. His troops, recognizing the wrong of 
their leader's cause, fought in a half-hearted way, and 
he was defeated. While he was trying to effect his 
escape, his horse floundered in the mud of a rice field, 
and he was shot in the forehead with an arrow. 

Young Ox now turned his attention to the Taira, 
who had escaped from the capital. The young lord 
of that clan had taken refuge in a castle near Kobe 
(koh-bay), but Young Ox took it by assault, and it 
was with difficulty that Taira escaped and hurried 
to another castle of his clan, which was also taken. 
The fugitive, accompanied by the empress and the boy 
emperor, now decided upon seeking a shelter in the 
island of Kiushiu. With the remnant of his clan he 

47 



48 

embarked in as many ships as he could collect, and set 
sail. 

But Young Ox was not to be balked of his prey 




An army on the march 



He incited his followers to the greatest efforts, and in 
a short time succeeded in assembling enough vessels to 
embark his army and set off in pursuit. In the straits 
at the west entrance to the Inland Sea, the fugitives 



49 

were overtaken. A naval battle was fought in which 
the troops of Taira fought with the courage of despair, 
but to no avail. Young Ox remained victor. A few 
of the clan who effected their escape sought refuge 
in the mountain fastnesses of the island of Kiushiu. 
The empress, unwilling to surrender, jumped into the 
sea with the boy emperor, and both were drowned. 

After defeating the enemies of his half-brother, 
Young Ox returned to Kamakura. You would natu- 
rally suppose that the young lord would welcome the 
hero who had rendered him and his clan such important 
services; but not so. It may be that Yoritomo was 
afraid that his half-brother might have ambitious plans, 
such as his cousin had; or perhaps he was jealous of 
the glory and fame gained by Young Ox. At any 
rate, when the victorious army approached Kamakura, 
the head of the clan sent a messenger to Young Ox 
with the order to encamp beyond the city walls, and 
there to deliver up the trophies and spoils. Young Ox 
obeyed without a murmur, and, receiving an order to 
that effect, withdrew with his army to Kyoto. 

He was but a short time in the capital when his com- 
mand was taken from him, and he noticed that he could 
not leave the house without being followed by spies. 
He began to fear that he would be poisoned or stabbed 
if he remained in Kyoto, so he moved to a small 
country place, taking care not to arouse suspicion. He 
lived by himself and saw no one, but he was still 
watched by spies. At last he decided to return to the 
north of Japan to the place where he had first plotted 
against Taira, which he had left only to help his 

STO. OF JAPAN — 4 



so 

brother. Here he would not be suspected, and he 
was satisfied to withdraw from pubHc life, since he had 
avenged the wrongs of his clan. So Young Ox left 
for the north without meeting with any adventures, 
and arrived at his old refuge. But the old governor 
was dead, and his place was held by his son, who, to 
court favor with the new regent, had the young hero 
assassinated. 




A Buddhist ceremony 



If the cowardly murderer had expected a reward, he 
was much disappointed, for he was tried and executed 
by order of Minamoto. But this did not prevent 
tongues from wagging ; and it was rumored that the 
new regent was not entirely innocent of his brother's 
murder. 

Yoritomo was now regent. He had entered Kyoto 
in triumph, and had received the title and rank from 



51 

the baby emperor whom his cousin had placed on 
the throne. The regent, however, dechned to reside 
in the capital. He left a trusty officer to watch over 
the emperor; that is, to prevent any other clan from ob- 
taining control over his person. After he had secured 
a deed by which the title and power of regent should 
remain in his family, Yoritomo set about restoring 
order, the country having been much disturbed by the 
civil war. 

Buddhist cloisters and convents had greatly multi- 
plied, and the monks did not like to see the emperor 
a mere puppet in the hands of a great clan. So they 
made as much difficulty for the regent as they could. 
But after Yoritomo had burned a few of their cloisters, 
the monks saw that he was too strong for them, and 
they submitted to his laws. 

After Yoritomo had punished robbers, and made 
the roads safe for travelers and merchants, he began 
to encourage the arts and industries. It was during 
his reign that the Dai Butsu, the great bronze statue 
of Buddha, was cast. The Japanese became wonder- 
fully skillful in metal working. They were especially 
famous for the temper of the swords they made. 



THE LAST OF THE MINAMOTO 

YORITOMO died suddenly from the effect of a fall 
from his horse, and was succeeded by his son, 
who, however, was not yet of age. His mother's father, 




Yorltomo 



Hojo, was appointed as his guardian. You remember 
that this old man had been a captain in the Taira clan, 
but that his daughter had persuaded him to help Yori- 

52 



53 

tomo. Hojo had remained faithful to his son-in-law, of 
whom he was somewhat afraid. But now that the 
regent was dead, the captain made up his mind to be 
the real regent, even if his grandson held the title. 

But when the son of Yoritomo grew up to man's 
estate, he wanted to rule as his father had done before 
him, and would not be satisfied with the mere honors 
and rank of regent. So his grandfather quietly ordered 
his head to be shaved, and sent him off to a cloister, 
where he was locked up. And when even within the 
walls of this prison, — for such it was, — he continued to 
protest against the actions of his grandfather, he was 
murdered by order of the captain, and his younger 
brother was made regent. 

Now, until within recent years, Japanese boys were 
wont to marry very young, and so you will not wonder 
that the poor murdered regent had left a son, who 
brooded over the violent death of his father. When 
this lad was old enough to handle a sword, he attacked 
his uncle, the new regent, and killed him. Hereupon 
Hojo condemned him to death, and the boy was exe- 
cuted. 

Yoritomo had no other sons, and you might think 
that the family had died out. But you would be mis- 
taken. In Japan it is the custom when there are no 
male heirs in a family, to adopt a child, who takes the 
name of his foster father and has all the rights and 
privileges of a- son. Hence there was no difficulty to 
provide a new regent : all that had to be done was to 
adopt a baby, and the widow of Yoritomo wrote to 
Kyoto to have one sent. 



54 

"But," you will ask, "why did not this widow interfere 
with her father to prevent the murder of her oldest son, 
and the execution of her grandson?" If you have not 
forgotten what I have said of the filial duties of a Japa- 
nese, you will know that the mother was in duty bound 
to yield blind obedience to her father. His will was 
law, and it would have violated every Japanese prin- 
ciple if she had dared oppose him in any of his resolu- 
tions. 

Another question you are apt to ask is what the 
faithful Minamoto clansmen did when they saw the 
family of their lord ruthlessly slaughtered by one who 
belonged to their foes, the Taira. To this I must 
answer that the old captain was sly enough to keep 
the death of a regent secret until he had another one 
safe and sound on the throne. And the clansmen 
were satisfied as long as they knew that a head of the 
Minamoto was, in name at least, the regent. They 
obeyed, not him, but the orders issued over his name 
and seal. 

The loyalty of a Japanese is intense ; it is so strong 
that he will shrink from no danger, and will even com- 
mit suicide when the order is given by those who have 
lawful authority. But until the revolution of 1868 this 
loyalty was to the clan as a political body, and not to 
the head of the clan personally. It was the crest or seal 
that was revered as the personification of the clan, and if 
the official documents containing commands bore the seal 
of the clan, they were obeyed without hesitation, who- 
ever might be the temporary head that issued them. 

From what I have said here, you will understand why 



55 

the Taira captain, who was without doubt the actual 
ruler of Japan, did not dare proclaim himself as regent, 
and why he and his descendants continued to place on 
the regent's throne at Kamakura babies, who are known 
in Japanese history as " shadow regents," because they 
were regents only in name. And this will further ex- 
plain how the Japanese writers of history of this day 
boast, in good faith, of the loyalty of the people for the 
emperor and his family, while at the same time they 
tell the story much as I have told it to you thus far. 
And the people zvere loyal, according to their idea ; that 
is, they obeyed cheerfully any order given under the 
crest and seal of the Tenno. And when they did take 
up arms against him, it was with no disloyalty, for they 
announced that they were fighting only against his ad- 
visers; that is, against the men who used his crest and 
seal to further their own schemes. The story of Japan 
is not easy to understand; but if you can remember 
what I have said above, you will find less difficulty. 

You will see now that, even at this early time, the 
Tenno had no real power ; that the country was ruled 
by regents from Kamakura as the capital ; and that 
the man who could make and depose the regents was 
the real ruler of people, regent, and emperor. 



AN INDEPENDENT TENNO 

AS you have read before, Yoritomo*s father-in-law 
was named Hojo, which means either a Buddhist 
priest or a convent, or one who sets free a live animal 
that has been caught. For you must know that the 
Buddhists believe that the souls of men go after death 
into the bodies of animals. That is why faithful believ- 
ers in Buddha will not eat the flesh of animals. They 
say, " How does one know that the soul of his father 
or grandfather may not have been in the body of the 
ox that is killed?" 

The Hojo family ruled over Japan one hundred and 
fourteen years, always in the name of some shadow 
regent. But although they had no right to rule the 
country, the Hojo were good and just to the people, and 
helped the progress of arts and industries, so that 
Japan grew to be a rich country. 

It was during the Hojo period (i 199-1333) that the 
famous Japanese swords were first made. Before this 
the two-edged blade had been used, which was but a 
clumsy weapon to strike with; but the swords made 
during the Hojo period would cut through a dollar with- 
out leaving a flaw. In 1877 there was a dangerous 
rebellion in Japan. The government troops were armed 

56 



57 

with modern rifles and balls, and many of the rebels 
had only their swords. But they killed so many of the 
regular troops with these dangerous weapons that the 
government was compelled to form a troop of expert 
swordsmen to cope with them. 

The Hojo also kept up the army. The soldiers of 




Forging a sword 



Japan had now become a distinct caste, that is, only 
certain families could serve in war, and their sons were 
also soldiers. They were called samurai (sah-moo-ri), 
and had the right to wear two swords. The long two- 
handled one was used in war. The other, short as a 
da^^er, was for nothing else than to commit suicide. At 



58 

first it was used only after a battle, when a wounded 
soldier, preferring death to falling into the hands of 
the enemy, stabbed himself with the short sword. 
But soon it became a privilege of the samurai class 
to commit suicide when they had done anything for 
which the commoi^ people would have been condemned 
to death. The sons of samurai were taught in early 
youth how to behave themselves and what to do if 
ever the time should come when they would have to 
commit hara-kiri (hah-rah'-kee-ree — hara is the Japa- 
nese word for stomach, and kiri means to cut). By 
this kind of education, they grew familiar with the idea 
of dying at any time. Soon it became such a custom, 
that when a clan was insulted, and for some reason 
could not take revenge, the principal samurai would 
commit hara-kiri in a dignified manner, and so wipe 
out the stain upon the crest of the clan. 

The Hojo were proud of their country, and loved 
it, as every Japanese does. They ruled, honestly think 
ing that it was b^st for Japan that they should dc 
so. When the Chinese emperor sent two men to de- 
mand that Japan should pay tribute, thereby confess- 
ing that the emperor of China was really their master, 
the reigning Hojo ordered the messengers' heads to be 
cut off, as an answer to the insolent demand. The 
Chinese emperor was so angry at this that he gathered 
a great army and fleet to take Japan, but he was badly 
defeated. So the Hojo do not deserve the dislike with 
which they are regarded by the people, who call a bug 
that destroys the young rice by the name of Hojo bug. 
But now I must tell you how the Hojo rule came 



59 

to an end through the efforts of an emperor who 
would not be a mere puppet. The poor babies or 
boys who had held the title of Tenno had been much 
neglected, and when one of them died, the court had 
not sufficient money for funeral ceremonies, so that 
he had to be buried by charity. At last the Hojo, 
in their turn, became puppets, and Japan was ruled 
by some ex-regent, who had retired to a cloister; and 




The Chinese invasion 



for some time the monks were the ruling power. But 
although they held an unlawful authority, they were 
inclined to restore the government to the emperor. 

In the early part of the fourteenth century, the 
Tenno died, and the Hojo placed upon the throne a 
prince, named Godaigo (goh-dl-goh), from whom they 
expected no trouble. He seemed to care for nothing 
except pleasure, and that was the sort of man they 



66 

V 
wanted. But this prince had only pretended to be of 
such disposition, for he was really a man of courage 
and ability. When the government at Kamakura dis- 
covered this, they decided that he must abdicate, and 
they sent an army to the capital. The emperor not 




having enough troops to defend Kyoto, withdrew 
with his band to a Buddhist cloister not far 
from Nara, which had been strongly fortified. But 
the regent was determined to maintain his power. His 
army set out in pursuit, carried the cloister by assault, 
and captured the emperor. He was sent into exile, and 
the heads of his advisers were cut off, and carried on 
poles fastened to his sedan chair. 



6i 

But this emperor was a man of strong will, and, 
while in exile, he sent letters to one of his sons, who 
was a Buddhist priest, and to one of his captains, who 
had escaped with a small body of faithful troops. 
After everything was prepared, the emperor left the 
island to which he had been banished, escaping in a 
fishing boat, and hiding himself under a heap of mus- 
sels. He was missed, and the boat was pursued and 
overtaken ; but the mussel heap was not searched, and 
the emperor reached the island of Hondo, where he 
was joined by a small army. With this he marched at 
once upon Kyoto, and as the Hojo commander was 
unprepared, the capital was captured. 

The Hojo now sent more troops against him, but 
their leaders, who were members of the old Minamoto 
clan, went over to the emperor, and many who had 
been kept away, through fear of the power of the 
Hojo, now joined the imperial standard. One of the 
Minamoto leaders, in command of the emperor's army, 
advanced upon Kamakura. The Hojo made a desper- 
ate defense. The outer walls were carried by assault, 
but every ward had been made into a fortress, and 
the place was taken only after a furious hand-to-hand 
fight. When the Hojo clan were utterly defeated, their 
leaders took their own lives by the dreadful hara-kiri, 
and once more it seemed as though the Tenn6 would 
regain his power. 

But it was not to be. The two Minamoto leaders 
who had betrayed the Hojo regent, began to quarrel, 
and one of them denounced his former comrade to the 
emperor, accusing the man who had taken Kamakura 



62 

of designs against the Tenno. But this general suc- 
ceeded in proving his innocence, whereupon the emperor 
commissioned him to punish his traducer. A battle was 
foyght between the two former comrades in arms, in 
which the emperor's troops were defeated, and the poor 
Heaven Child was again compelled to flee from the 
capital. Once more he took refuge in the convent 
where he had been captured by the Hojo troops. 

And now the victorious leader, whose family name 
was Ashikaga (ash-ee-kah-gah), took the title and office 
of regent. He did not pursue the emperor, for the 
generals who had remained loyal gave him enough to 
do. First the regent pursued his former friend, and 
attacked him with a very strong force northwest of 
Kyoto, and he not only defeated his troops, but killed 
their leader. Then Ashikaga attacked the capital, which 
was taken and retaken three times. Then the last faith- 
ful band retired upon Hiogo, where they were finally 
routed and their leader committed the inevitable hara- 
kiri. The regent now appointed a puppet emperor in 
Kyoto, and left the other Tenno to rule, if he chose, 
over the monks in the convent. For a time there were 
two Tenn6s in Japan. But after a while the real 
emperor resigned in favor of the puppet emperor at 
Kyoto, who had after all no more power than his rival. 



CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN 

THE history of Japan, from this time, becomes very 
interesting. It is known among the Japanese as 
the period of the Ashikaga regents (i 338-1 574). These 
rulers were worse than any the country had ever had. 
They did not have the firm hand of the Hojo. MiH- 
tary governors were appointed over the provinces, and 
most of them, seeing that they had nothing to fear 
from the incapable regents, declared themselves inde- 
pendent. So these governors became chiefs, their sons 
succeeded them, and the former province became their 
territory. They made war upon each other, and some- 
times, when one of them was powerful enough, he 
would set up an opposition regent. 

By these unhappy conditions the people suffered 
most. Their rice fields were trampled down by invading 
or retreating bands, their harvests, if they had any, 
were destroyed, and their homes were ruined. Kyoto 
and other cities were taken and plundered by bands of 
free lances, robbers were masters on the highways, and 
pirates made the seas and rivers unsafe. 

But the Buddhist convents grew rich and powerful as 
they had never been before, for a great many of the 
monks knew how to handle sword and bow and arrow, 

63 



64 

and turned soldier whenever the occasion offered. One 
of them, who is known as "the Fighting Abbot," took 
two provinces; and the strong castle of Osaka — one 
of the points of interest in Japan at the present day 
— was built by these priests. The stones of most 
of this fortress are of such immense size that one 
wonders how the priests succeeded in raising them one 
upon the other, without any machinery. It is quite sure 




Buddhist priests on the war path 

that these Buddhist monks would at last have become 
the rulers of Japan, had they not taken to fighting 
among themselves. These quarrelsome habits did not 
at all increase love for them among the people, while 
the chieftains, as the successors of the military gov- 
ernors must now be called, were jealous of the wealth, 
power, and influence of the priesthood. 

This time — for we have now reached in our history 



65 

the sixteenth century period — was the age of great 
discoveries. Marco Polo, in the thirteenth century, had 
visited China, which he called Cathay, and had heard 
there of the island empire to the northeast, of which 
he wrote under the name of Zipangu (zee-pon-goo). 
In 1497, Vasco da Gama had sailed round the south- 
ern point of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, and had 
reached India. It was with the idea of finding a short 
route to Cathay, or China, that Columbus had sailed 
westward, and he would have succeeded had not the 
American continent been in his way. 

The Portuguese sailors of those days were very enter- 
prising, and no sooner had they discovered one country, 
than they set out to find another. They were brave 
seamen, for the ships were very small. Their main 
object was to get rich by trading with the newly dis- 
covered countries, but they also wished to convert the 
heathen people to Christianity. 

After the Portuguese had come to China, they went 
to seek Japan. Now you must remember that the 
Japanese in the sixteenth century were a very civilized 
people ; they had a regular government, tilled the ground 
or lived in cities and villages, and knew a great deal of 
the arts and industries. Besides this, their soldiers were 
brave and loved their country, even if they did fight 
among themselves. 

But, as I have said, the power acquired by the Bud- 
dhist convents had caused a deep feeling of hatred 
against them, both among the daimio (di-mee-yoh), as 
the chieftains were called, and the people ; and the first 
Portuguese priest who came to Japan was a very good 

STO. OF JAPAN — 5 



66 

man, who is known in history as St. Francis Xavier 
(zav'-i-er). 

His first landing was made in Kiushiu in 1542, and 
he was well received by the daimio. To his astonish- 
ment, he found the Japanese in possession of match- 
locks, as the guns of those days were called. He 
learned afterwards that a Portuguese named Mendez 
Pinto (men-deth peen-toh), who had visited Japan a short 
time previously, had made them a present of such a gun, 
and the Japanese, who are remarkable for their power 
of imitation, had set to work and made a number of 
these arms. 

St. Francis Xavier found attentive hearers in the 
Japanese among whom he preached ; and as the daimio 
did nothing to oppose his efforts, Christianity very soon 
began to spread among them. After some time this 
missionary crossed over to Hondo, and visited the capi- 
tal of the Tenno. He had expected to find a rich and 
flourishing city, but the troubled times had left an im- 
print upon Kyoto) and he saw nothing more than an 
armed camp. 

Several of the daimio, who had become converted, 
sent representatives to the pope. They crossed the 
Pacific Ocean in a Japanese vessel, and landed in 
Mexico ; after traveling through that country, they 
sailed for Spain, and from there reached Italy. There 
are now in the museum in Madrid two fine specimens 
of the suits of armor worn by Japanese samurai in those 
days. They were given to King Philip H. by this 
embassy. A few years ago the Japanese ambassador 
found in Venice a stone bearing an inscription which 



67 

showed that this same Japanese embassy had visited 
that city. 

Several Portuguese missionaries came after St. Fran- 
cis Xavier, and they succeeded, after many years, in 
making quite a number of converts. But other na- 
tions of Europe were anxious to trade with Japan, and 
among these were the Hollanders, who had risen in 
rebellion against Spain, I cannot tell you here about 
the causes that led to this or of the events that followed. 
But I must mention that the Spaniards conquered 
Portugal, so that from that time all the Portuguese pos- 
sessions belonged to Spain, and their ships sailed under 
the Spanish flag. The Hollanders now made war upon 
Portuguese ships and colonies, and began to lay 
schemes to have the Portuguese expelled from Japan. 
We shall hereafter see how they succeeded. 

The Ashikaga rule had been very bad for Japan, and 
one of these weak regents submitted to a demand 
from the emperor of China, and paid tribute. Japanese 
boys and men feel very badly when they read this part 
of their history. Their books say that this money was 
given to pay for damages done by Japanese pirates, 
who skimmed over the western coast of the Pacific 
Ocean, and attacked not only cities in China, but went 
as far south as Siam. The fact is that the money was 
paid, and that these regents were justly blamed for the 
disgrace brought upon their country. But now I must 
tell you how these rulers were driven out, and a new 
line took charge of the government. 



A GREAT GENERAL 

A POOR priest in one of the villages of Japan had a 
son named Nobunaga (noh-boo-nah'-gah). This 
priest claimed that his ancestor was the great Taira 
who had ruled over Japan ; he said that when the Taira 
were hunted down by the Minamoto, the widow of one 
of Taira' s sons fled with her little boy to a small vil- 
lage, whose mayor afterwards married her. After some 
time it happened that a priest, passing through the vil- 
lage, saw the boy and took a fancy to him. He went 
to see the motner and father, and obtained their con- 
sent to take the boy with him. He promised that he 
would give him a* good education and make a priest of 
him. This man kept his word. The boy grew up to 
be a priest and married, and became the ancestor of 
Nobunaga and his father. 

The boy, Nobunaga, was a great fighter, and was 
shrewd besides. He did not like the way the country 
was governed, and although his father himself was a 
priest, the son disliked the convents and looked with 
disfavor on the power and wealth which they had ac- 
quired. He enlisted as a warrior when but a boy, and 
was so brave and skillful in war that he was still young 
when he had taken a province and made himself a 

68 



69 

daimio, or lord. But he was not yet satisfied. He 
continued making war upon his neighbors until he had 
captured three other provinces, one of which was near 
the old capital Kyoto. And now something happened 
that gave him the opportunity to enter the capital with 
his army. 

The Ashikaga regent was murdered in the year 1574. 
This, in itself, was not very remarkable, for it happened 
often enough in those days, and really the country did 
not suffer any loss ; but it was a murder, and our friend 
Nobunaga said that murder was a crime, and must be 
punished. He declared also that the late regent's 
brother had the right to succeed him, and that he, No- 
bunaga, would see justice done. He was as good as his 
word. He entered the capital and appointed the regent, 
but he made himself vice regent, which means that 
he did the governing and that the other was only a 
puppet. 

But Nobunaga had work to do, and it was work that 
required great energy and a firm hand. First of all, 
the fighting among the great daimio or chieftains had 
to be stopped. This was not so very difficult, for since 
they quarreled among themselves, they were not pow- 
erful enough to oppose the vice regent's well-drilled 
troops. But he had more difficulty in dealing with 
the powerful Buddhist convents. The city of Osaka, 
about thirty-seven miles from the capital, Kyoto, had 
been fortified by them. Five powerful castles, having 
strong connections, defended this city. After a long 
siege, he captured three of these castles, but the other 
two held out, and he tried to starve them into surrender. 



70 

When at last the inmates were suffering from famine, 
they attempted to cut their way through the besiegers 
during the night, but they were driven back after show- 
ing the greatest courage. 




Samurai marching 

Now Nobunaga was threatened in his rear. He had 
left only a small garrison at Kyoto, and was informed 
that one of the daimio and an army of monks from the 



71 

wealthiest convent of Japan had marched upon the 
capital. Leaving a sufficient number of troops before 
Osaka, he himself hastened to the relief of Kyoto, and 
defeated his opponents. Nobunaga thereupon pro- 
ceeded to the convent, drove the monks out, and set 
fire to the buildings. He then returned to Osaka, 
which surrendered. 




Temple in Kyoto 



Nobunaga had two lieutenants trained by him, in 
whom he had great confidence. Both were able and 
brave men. The first was Hideyoshi (hid-ee-yosh-ee). 
At first this man had no name to boast of, for he was 
only the son of a poor peasant, and therefore had no 
right to be a warrior. He began life as a betto (bet-toh) 
or groom of Nobunaga ; but he showed so much skill 
and courage, that first he was allowed to enter the 



72 

ranks and afterwards received a small command. In 
this he proved so successful, that he was again and 
again promoted, until he was second in command to 
Nobunaga. 

He was very small in size, ill formed in limbs, and 
altogether made a very poor impression. The redeem- 




^ 



yY//yyy//y^///^yyyyyyy//yy^^yy/y^yy/^ ^ 



Hideyoshi 

ing features were his eyes, especially when he smiled ; 
but I must tell you his story in another chapter, after 
I have given an account of Nobunaga's death. 

Hideyoshi was besieging a castle which was defended 
so stubbornly that Nobunaga went to his assistance. 
On his way the latter heard that there was a conspiracy 
in the palace of the capital, and, leaving his troops to 
continue their march, he went with a small band to 



73 

Kyoto. When night came on, he sought shelter in a 
Buddhist convent. In the middle of the night this 
cloister was surrounded by the clansmen of one of his 
captains upon whom he had played some practical joke. 
This captain attacked the convent and set fire to the 
buildings. When Nobunaga saw that no escape was 
possible, he ended his life in the samurai fashion; that 
is, he committed hara-kiri. 



THE LORD OF THE GOLDEN WATER 
GOURDS 

IN the last chapter mention was made of the low 
origin of Hideyoshi, and in a former chapter I told 
you how the Japanese nobles adopted coats of arms 
or crests, just as the noble families of Europe did dur- 
ing the Middle Ages. Hideyoshi, of course, had no 
crest; but when, in 1575, he obtained a command, he 
adopted a water gourd as his emblem, and added 
another one for every victory he gained, until the 
number grew into a large bunch, and he was called 
The Lord of the Golden Water Gourds. 

When Hideyoshi heard of the death of his friend and 
master Nobunaga, he knew that it was his duty to punish 
the murderer. But, if for that purpose he should raise 
the siege, he was quite certain that the rebel chieftains 
would fall upon his rear, and endanger the situation. 
His decision, however, was soon made. He informed 
the besieged of the murder, and frankly confessed that 
he was about to pursue the man who was responsible 
for Nobunaga's death. He concluded by saying that 
he was willing to make peace with them for a time or 
forever ; but if they did not accept his terms then and 
there, he would soon return with as powerful an army 
as could be raised in Japan. 

74 



75 

You will readily understand how those proud chief- 
tains hated the upstart, but they knew also that " the 
crowned monkey," as they called him on account of 
his features, was not the man to make idle threats, and 
that the army of Nobunaga would be ready to join him. 
They therefore accepted his terms and agreed to serve 
under him. Reenforced by his former enemies, Hide- 
yoshi now advanced upon Kyoto. 

Brave and reckless as he was, the anxiety to reach 
the capital before Nobunaga's traitor captain could 
secure a foothold, caused the general to hurry on before 
his afmy. About halfway between Hiogo (hee-yoh-goh) 
and Osaka, he came unexpectedly upon a scouting party 
of the traitor, and a fight ensued in which he was parted 
from his guard. 

There was a small temple, surrounded by rice fields, 
which resemble swamps because of the constant irriga- 
tion needed in the growing of rice. A narrow path, 
scarcely wide enough for a horse, led to the temple, 
and Hideyoshi spurred his horse over it. Near the 
temple he jumped off, turned his horse on the path, 
and pricking it with his dirk, sent it galloping back. 
He then ran into the temple, where he found the priests 
taking their baths. The bath room in Japan is a large 
square apartment where all can take their baths at the 
same time. So Hideyoshi threw off his clothes and 
jumped in, and when his pursuers searched the temple, 
they took only a cursory glance at the bathing priests. 
But now Hideyoshi's guard had come up, and the scout- 
ing party was driven off. Hideyoshi put on his clothes 
and continued his march at the head of his troops. 



76 

For twelve days the traitor who had planned to take 
Nobunaga's place had been master m Kyoto, when 
Hideyoshi with his army approached the Yodo River. 
The same battlefield where Japan's fate had been de- 
cided when the Minamoto were defeated by the Taira, 
was to see a new ruler rise to direct her destinies. 
The traitor's troops were routed, and as he was trying 
to escape, he was nearly killed with a pitchfork in 
the hands of a peasant. He ended his life in the usual 
way, by hara-kiri, but his head was cut off and put on 
a stake near the place where Nobunaga had fallen. 
This victory made Hideyoshi master of the situation, 
and he was not the man to neglect his opportunities. 

It was natural enough that the chieftains, who had 
unwillingly and after repeated struggles submitted to 
Nobunaga, should object to obey the orders of a man 
of such humble origin as Hideyoshi. But it was not 
long before they learned that, willingly or not, the orders 
issued by the " crowned monkey " must be obeyed. He 
marched against the chieftains who denied his authority, 
and after a few decisive battles, convinced them that a 
strong hand ruled in Kyoto. Then, for the first time 
in many years, order was restored and Japan began to 
recover from the long period of misrule and civil war. 

Nobunaga had been a general and nothing more. 
The Lord of the Golden Water Gourds was not only an 
able general : he was also a crafty politician. In those 
days the Japanese were very superstitious ; in fact, they 
are so even to this day. I do not mean the few who 
have traveled in this country or in Europe, but the 
great mass of the people. I have told you before that 



17 

the principal food of the Japanese is rice, and the peas- 
ants have the greatest respect for Inari (ee-nah-ree), the 
god of rice. Wherever you go in Japan, you will see 
shrines erected to him, sometimes by the roadside near 
a village, at other times hidden in a beautiful copse of 




A roadside shrine 



maples or evergreens, or again covered by the leaves of 
the bamboo-, near the fence of a farmyard. The peasants 
also believe that the fox is the servant of the rice god, 
and that he can bewitch people. One of Hideyoshi's 
maidservants took a notion that a fox had bewitched 
her, and was so convinced of the fact that the other 



78 

servants began to be afraid of her. The matter was 
reported to Hideyoshi. He smiled, and said there was 
a cure for this. He wrote a letter to the god of rice, 
requesting him to find out which fox had done the deed, 
and to punish him if he could give no good reasons for 
his action. The woman, firmly believing that this letter 
would have the desired effect, was soon cured. 

On one of his campaigns, it was necessary to ship a 
number of horses across an inlet of the sea. The boat- 
men were afraid. "We don't like to," they said; "the 
sea god might be angry, and what would become of us 
then ? " Hideyoshi quietly called for pen and paper, 
and gravely indicted a letter which read as follows : — 

Honorable Mr. Sea God: 

The horses belonging to the army of the Heaven Child must be 
transported across this inlet, and I, the unworthy commander of 
these troops, have engaged the boatmen to perform this work. As 
they are acting in the service of the Tenn6, you will please grant 
them a safe passage. 

This letter was read to the boatmen and then cast 
into the sea. Satisfied that this would appease the sea 
god, the boatmen promptly transported the horses. 

Hideyoshi had now pacified Japan ; that is, the 
daimio acknowledged him as their master, because they 
had been made to understand that any disobedience 
would bring swift and sure punishment. The Lord of 
the Golden Water Gourds was sure of his army, and he 
was no niggard in giving land to his faithful captains. 
From this time, the land really did belong to the daimio, 
although in theory they held it in fief, that is, as a loan^ 
from the Tenno. 



SECOND INVASION OF KOREA 

I HAVE told you before how the rich and powerful 
Buddhist monks opposed Nobunaga. To curtail 
their influence, Nobunaga showed much favor to the 
Portuguese missionaries, and the greater part of the 
island of Kiushiu was converted to Christianity. The 
missionaries also succeeded on the island of Hondo, and 
one of the most favored captains of Hideyoshi was a 
Christian. The Lord of the Golden Water Gourds was 
indifferent. He did not care whether a Japanese was a 
Christian or a Buddhist, so long as he obeyed the laws 
as laid down by him. But now that Japan was pacified, 
the question arose as to what to do with the large 
number of soldiers whom his successes had brought 
to his standard. 

These soldiers were samurai, or knights. To them it 
seemed the greatest disgrace to learn a trade or to earn 
a living. They were willing to defend their country 
or their lord, but they demanded to be supported in 
time of peace, without being compelled to do any work, 
except to practice with their arms. The country, how- 
ever, was now too poor to support such a number of 
men in idleness. Besides this, these samurai were fond 
of fighting. For some time Hideyoshi kept them quiet 

79 



So 



by introducing a ceremonious tea drinking, the rules of 
which were very compUcated and caused much study. 
But he knew that he must give them more serious 
work, or he would have to face awkward troubles at 
home. 

While considering this question, the thought occurred 
to him to occupy his troops with the conquest of China. 
He did not for a moment doubt that they could accom- 




Castle of Hideyoshi's time 

plish it. American boys sometimes use the expression, 
" It is as easy as falling off a log." Hideyoshi thought 
the same thing when he said, " It is as easy as rolling 
up a mat and carrying it off under the arm." When 
he finally made up his mind, it was decided that Korea 
should first be captured. 

Hideyoshi could not very well assume the title of 
regent, for that would have offended the whole of the 



8i 

Japanese nobility; but he secured the office of prime 
minister, which gave him more power than any regent 
had ever possessed. He could declare war without con- 
sulting anybody. Soon it was speedily known that an 
expedition against Korea was to be made. 

When the poor Koreans heard what was in store for 
them, they did not like it at all. Between the Chinese 
on one side, and the Japanese on the other, they had a 
hard time of it. The Chinese had forbidden them to 
send tribute to Japan, and so they had not sent any for 
almost a hundred years. This was all very well so long 
as the Ashikaga regents pretended to rule Japan ; but 
now that there was a man at the head of the govern- 
ment who knew how to make himself obeyed, the 
Koreans sent several embassies to settle the dispute in 
a peaceable manner. 

But Hideyoshi did not want peace. He had deter- 
mined to conquer China, and nothing less than that 
would do. Besides this, he firmly believed that the 
Japanese had conquered Korea under Empress Jingu, 
and that it really belonged to Japan. Preparations 
were therefore made to send a strong army so that this 
conquest would not occupy too much time, and so that 
China's turn might come as soon as possible. This 
took place near the close of the sixteenth century. 

But who should command this expedition ? Hide- 
yoshi was too well acquainted with the history of 
Japan to trust one general, who after being success- 
ful might declare himself independent; then it would 
be more difficult to punish him than to conquer the 
peninsula. To go himself would be exceedingly dan- 



82 



gerous, since his absence from Japan might lead to 
the rebellion of the nobles, who were not over fond 
of him. At last he decided to divide the expedition 
into two armies, to be commanded by two of his best 
officers, who were not only rivals, but hated each other ; 
so that one would act as a check upon the other. 

It may be that the introduction of the system of official 
spies dates from this time. It is a very curious custom. 




Invasion of Korea 

and shows the distrust the samurai have toward each 
other. It is well worth reading about, and will be ex- 
plained more fully in another chapter. 

When a large fleet had been assembled, Hideyoshi 
appointed to the command of one army, one of his cap- 
tains who had become a Christian ; whereas the general 
in charge of the other army hated all the Christians, 
and especially his rival. Now you might think that 



S3 

these two armies would not be apt to work very well 
together, and so it proved. At first they carried every- 
thing before them. The Koreans were defeated, and 
Soiil (sowl), the capital, was taken. The Japanese acted 
very brutally wherever they went. But war is always 
conducted with more or less cruelty, and in those days 
soldiers thought it their duty to shed as much blood 
as they could. The king of Korea left his capital and 
withdrew to Ping-yang on the Tatung (tah-tongue) 
River, the same place where the Japanese defeated the 
Chinese in September, 1894. But here also he was 
followed by his enemy, and it looked for some time as 
if Korea would really become a province of Japan. 
Meanwhile the two Japanese armies acted independ- 
ently, and the king of Korea sent an embassy to the 
emperor of China, asking for immediate assistance. 

The ruler of this great empire was very well aware 
that if the Japanese succeeded in conquering Korea, he 
would have brave and ambitious neighbors who would 
give him no rest. So he decided at once to help the 
Koreans. To gain time, he first sent officers to the 
Japanese to order them to get out of the peninsula on 
threat of punishment from their master. The Japanese 
only laughed, and they made it very uncomfortable for 
these officers. But the emperor of China was now 
thoroughly alarmed, and, collecting a powerful army, 
sent it into Korea. 

If the two Japanese generals had acted in harmony, 
there is no doubt that they would have defeated the 
Chinese. But they did not even help each other, and 
the consequence was that one army was defeated, and 



84 

the other was besieged in the capital. The waxriQ Japa- 
nese had now grown so detested in Korea that the 
usually gentle people would attack and kill any single 
Japanese, and it was dangerous for the samurai to walk 
in the streets, unguarded. At last the Japanese were 
compelled to treat for peace, and the only trophy which 
Hideyoshi's troops brought from China was a ghastly 
heap of ten thousand ears, cut off from the heads of 
Koreans. A mound was built over them in the form 
of five tiers, and is still shown in Kyoto as a token of 
Japanese courage. 

Korea has never recovered from this Japanese inva- 
sion. Cities and fields were laid waste, and while the 
Japanese are said to have lost a hundred thousand 
men, the loss of Korean lives must have been much 
greater. 

When the remnant of Hideyoshi's army returned to 
Japan, they brought with them a number of skilled 
Korean workmen, who instructed the Japanese in new 
and better ways of making porcelain and what is 
known as Satsuma (sat-soo-mah) ware. That was all 
the benefit they derived from their expensive expedition. 

Chinese ambassadors had arrived in Kyoto, and 
handed to Hideyoshi a letter in which their emperor 
offered to make him king of Japan. But the Lord of 
the Golden Water Gourds was not like the Ashikaga 
regents. He was furious, tore up the letter, and plainly 
told the messengers that Japan was an independent 
country concerning which the Chinese emperor had 
nothing to say. He would no longer listen to them, 
but sent them away in disgrace. 



85 

Now, though this war was begun and maintained by 
Hideyoshi, still he had officially retired from public life 
before the expedition had left, and had been succeeded 
by his baby son Hideyori (hid-ee-yoh-ree). But so it 
had been for years in Japan. As soon as a good, strong 
man was established as the real head of the govern- 
ment, he would resign in favor of some puppet, and from 
his retirement would wield more power than ever be- 
fore. Hideyoshi died seven years after he had resigned. 
He is best known among Japanese boys and girls by 
the name of Taiko Sama (tl-koh sah-mah), or My Lord 
Taiko, a name assumed by him when his son became 
prime minister. 



THE THREE HOLLYHOCK LEAVES 

AMONG the chieftains of the smaller clans who had 
joined in opposing Hideyoshi after Nobunaga's 
death was one whose badge was three hollyhock leaves 
in a circle. This squire, as he might be called, claimed 
to be a descendant of the Minamoto. He said that one 
of the younger sons of Minamoto had, in the twelfth 
century, adopted the name of Tokugawa (toh-koong- 
gah'-wah), and that the father of this young squire, 
himself a warrior of some reputation, had adopted this 
crest or coat of arms. 

Young Hollyhock had served, both under Nobunaga, 
and under Hideyoshi. When, after Nobunaga's death, 
he foresaw that the " crowned monkey " would soon be 
master of Japan, he hastened to make peace with him, 
and Hideyoshi rewarded him by giving him his sister 
in marriage and making him governor of the fertile 
plain around Yedo (yed-doh) Bay. Since the Ashikaga 
regents, Kamakura had no longer been the capital, and 
Hollyhock looked around for another place to build a 
residence for himself. He chose the site where Tokyo 
(toh-kyoh) now stands, and named it Yedo or Door of 
the Bay. 

So Hollyhock was brother-in-law of the Lord of the 

86 



87 



Golden Water Gourds, and uncle of Hideyori, who had 
succeeded his father. But Hideyoshi had but little con- 
fidence in the ability of his son, for on his deathbed he 
appointed his brother-in-law as guardian, and nominated 
a council to assist him in the government. It soon 
became evident that Hollyhock would allow no one to 




lyeyasu 



dictate to him, or even to interfere with his plans. 
His opponents in the council took alarm, and, 
accusing him of plotting, raised a force. A battle was 
fought in the first year of the seventeenth century, in 
which Hollyhock was the victor, and from that moment 
he was the ruler of Japan. 

The real name of this most remarkable man was 
Tyeyasu (ee-yay-yas). He established a new family of 



ss 

regents, and his descendants ruled over Japan for more 
than two hundred and fifty years, indeed until 1868, 
when the present emperor was taken from the seclusion 
in which his family had lived for centuries in the capital, 
and assumed the duties of government. • It was this 
regent who decided that it would be better for Japan to 
decline having anything to do with the outside world, 
and who therefore forbade foreigners to come to, or 
Japanese to leave, the country. To sum up in a few 
words, he made of Japan what she was at the time 
when Commodore Perry steamed up Yedo Bay in his 
flagship, the Mississippi. 

lyeyasu became the real ruler of Japan in 1600, and 
his iirst task was to redivide Japan. The chieftains 
who had helped him in battle received large additions of 
territory, which was taken from those who had opposed 
him. 

The title of every chieftain, as I have explained be- 
fore, was daimio.. Some of these lords had very large 
possessions and were very powerful. lyeyasu saw that 
as long as he could keep them divided, and prevent 
them from plotting together, and especially from obtain- 
ing possession of the sacred person of the puppet em- 
peror, the government would continue in his hands and 
in those of his descendants. To accomplish this, he 
created a large number of new daimio, from among his 
most faithful officers, and supplied them with land taken 
from the great daimio or from property of his former 
opponents. 

He took care that not only the capital, but also every 
territory, whose lord was not known to be stanch to him. 



89 

should be completely hemmed in by daimio in whom 
he could place confidence because their interests were 
the same as those of the regent, and as 'he improved 
the spy system to a standard of excellence unheard 
of in the history of the world, he was tolerably sure 
that nothing could pass in any territory within the limits 
of Japan, that would not be accurately reported in 




Merchant ship of lyeyasu's time 



the regent's capital before it could become dangerous 
to the state or to the regent's interests. 

Up to this time there had been no written laws. 
The control over the people was so absolute, and the 
supervision so strict, that criminals were few, and 
punishment was meted out to them in short order. 
It was a principle of Japanese unwritten law that no 
prisoner could be executed unless he had confessed, 



90 

and to obtain the avowal of his crime, torture was re- 
sorted to. The judge, in civil as well as in criminal 
cases, was expected to render a verdict prompted by 
common sense. 

Every daimio had the right to judge in his own terri- 
tory; but if his people believed themselves in any 
way oppressed, they had the privilege of an appeal 
to the regent, who, if the daimio was proved guilty 
of misgovernment, had power to remove him to another 
territory or even to condemn him to commit suicide. 
Japanese books tell of many instances in illustration of 
this custom. 

lyeyasu knew that the prosperity of the country 
depended upon the industry and thrift of the masses, 
and he was firmly resolved to afford them protection. 
But his sympathies were with the samurai, and he 
granted them such privileges as to make them really 
masters of the people. 

They were above the law; that is, a samurai could 
not be judged as one who belonged to the common 
people. But he had a code of honor, the violation of 
which involved suicide by hara-kiri, or eternal disgrace 
accompanied by expulsion from his order. The clan, 
moreover, was held responsible for the good behavior of 
every samurai belonging to it, and a crime committed 
by one of them might be punished by a verdict of hara- 
kiri for several members, especially for those who were 
in a position to prevent its commission and had neg- 
lected to do so. 

On the other hand, if a samurai felt himself insulted, 
he was compelled to wipe off the stain with blood ; and 



91 

if he could not do so without endangering his clan, he 
had the privilege to become a ronin (roh-neen), or a 
free lance, who owed allegiance to no one, but acted 
wholly upon his own responsibility. 




Procession of daimio in the city 



This privilege was resorted to especially in cases 
where the act of a samurai might embroil the clan 
with the regent's government in Yedo. The samurai 



92 

was, in such a case, risking his own life, but that 
was a matter of minor consideration. He had been 
brought up from earliest youth in the belief that 
loyalty to the clan was the first and vital principle of 
the samurai; he had been taught that the sacrifice of 
his life might be demanded at any time, and that such 
a death would render him celebrated, not only among 
the members of his own clan, but wherever the lan- 
guage of Japan was understood. If he read books, 
the subjects of most of them were incidents in the 
lives of loyal samurai, generally ending in a ceremonious 
hara-kiri. If he visited the theater, the same subject 
was illustrated on the stage. To him death was an 
incident, to be coveted rather than feared. 

The clan itself was or became in time a theocratic 
republic, that is, a republic of which the daimio, sup- 
posed to be a god, was the president ; and he could be 
elected only from the family of the daimio. I have 
told you before how puppet emperors were made and 
unmade ; how the same fate awaited the regents who 
succeeded in power ; and the clans were naturally gov- 
erned on the same plan. When lyeyasu created new 
daimio out of his best officers, they, of course, ruled 
their clans in person, but even they were compelled 
to consult the samurai out of whose ranks they had 
risen. 

The bravest and ablest of these samurai naturally 
obtained the greatest influence in the clan, and formed 
a council in which its affairs were deliberated and de- 
cided upon. The daimio was then acquainted with 
their decision, and if he approved, his crest or seal 



93 

affixed to a document gave it the force of law, and the 
clan was expected to, and would, abide by it to the 
death. If the lord of the clan did object to anything 




Procession of daimio in the country 

approved by his council and could not be brought to 
reason, another council was held, and if the decision 
of the first was affirmed, the daimio was respectfully 
but firmly informed that he must resign. In such a 



94 

case his heir was raised to the dignity and the former 
lord withdrew into private Hfe. The honor, dignity, 
and policy of the clan were thus intrusted to the ablest 
among them, and loyalty was not a personal affair, but 
one belonging to the clan as a body. 

Try to remember this and you will understand how 
Japan, in a very few years, has made such rapid prog- 
ress. But now I must tell you some true stories of 
how the Portuguese succeeded in converting the Japa- 
nese to Christianity ; why they were expelled from the 
country; and why lyeyasu forbade foreigners to come 
to Japan. 



THE DUTCH IN JAPAN 

IN the fifty years that had gone by since the Portu- 
guese first landed in Japan, they had made many 
converts. In Kiushiu alone they baptized more than 
fifty thousand Japanese and founded fifty churches. 
The daimio of Arima (ah-ree-mah), Bungo (boon-goh), 
and Omura (oh-moo-rah) were among the number who 
embraced Christianity, although they did not openly 
favor the new religion. 

The trade with Japan was exceedingly valuable to 
Portugal, for many tons of gold, silver, and copper 
were exported from Japan every year. The large profit 
from such a trade made other nations of Europe anxious 
to obtain a share of it; and because, at that time, the 
English and the Dutch were the most enterprising, it 
was natural that one of these should first become a 
rival of the Portuguese. 

The Dutch had fitted out some ships to go trading in 
the Indian and Pacific oceans, and had engaged an 
Englishman, Will Adams, to act as their pilot, just as 
they had taken Henry Hudson to steer one of their 
ships to America. Here is what Will Adams says of 
himself : — 

" Your worships shall understand that I am a Kentish 

95 



96 

man, born in a town called Gillingham, two English 
miles from Rochester, and one mile from Chatham, 
where the queen's (Elizabeth's) ships do lie ; and that, 
from the age of twelve years, I was brought up in 
Limehouse, near London, being 'prentice twelve years 
to one master, Nicholas Diggins, and have served in 
the place of master and pilot in her majesty's ships, 
and about eleven or twelve years served the worshipful 
company of the Barbary merchants, until the Indian 
traffic from Holland began, in which Indian traffic I 
was desirous to make a little experience of the small 
knowledge which God had given me. 

" So, in the year of our Lord God 1 598, I hired my- 
self for chief pilot of a fleet of five sail of Hollanders, 
which was made ready by the chief of their Indian 
Company ; the general of this fleet was called Jacques 
Mayhay, in which ship, being admiral, I was pilot." 

The fleet set sail from Holland on the 24th of June, 
1598. The ships of those days were small and carried, 
besides a strong crew to defeat any enemy who might 
attack them, and the necessary arms, a very heavy 
cargo, so that there was not much room for provisions 
or fresh water. Before these vessels had crossed the 
equator, so many of their crew were sick that they 
were compelled to seek the nearest land, which was 
the coast of Guinea, and here many of their men died, 
among whom was their admiral, — ■ or general, as they 
called him. 

After more than nine months they reached the Straits 
of Magellan, in April, 1599, "at which time," says 
honest Will, " the winter came, so that there was much 



97 

snow: and our men, through cold on the one side 
and hunger on the other, grew weak." Although there 
were no charts of the Straits of Magellan at that time, 
Adams preferred that route to going round Cape Horn ; 
but they were forced to winter there, you can easily 
imagine under what hardships, and it was the 24th of 
September before they succeeded in getting into the 
Pacific. 

Here they were caught in a storm which scattered 
the ships, the Erasmus, of which Adams was the pilot, 
making for the coast of Chile, where Adams waited 
twenty-eight days for the other vessels to join him. 
They, however, were never heard of with the excep- 
tion of one which they lost sight of again on the 24th 
of February, 1600. It had been decided that they 
should make for Japan, for the greater part of their 
cargo consisted of woolen cloths, "which would not 
be much accepted in the East Indies because they were 
hot countries." 

"On the nth of April, 1600," Will Adams continues, 
"we saw the high land of Japan, near unto Bungo; 
at which time there were no more than five men of 
us able to go. The 12th of April we came hard to 
(close to) Bungo, where many country barks came 
aboard us, the people whereof we willingly let come, 
having no force to resist them. And at this place we 
came to an anchor. 

" The people offered us no hurt, but stole all things 
that they could steal ; for which some paid dearly after- 
ward." 

The Dilot here gives a hard name to the Japanese, 

STO. OF JAPAN — 3 



95 

but does full justice to the authorities. Theft was and 
is very severely punished in Japan. But the humbler 
classes of the people are full of curiosity, and they did 
not think that they were stealing when they pilfered 
from the ships. When people go traveling in foreign 
countries, they will now and then chip off little pieces 
of monuments or statues, yet they do not consider it 
stealing ; and it was from the same feeling that the 
Japanese took whatever they could find. 

The Portuguese were at that time at war with Hol- 
land; but even if this had not been the case, it was not 
to be expected that they would welcome a rival. You 
must remember, besides, that they were devout Catho- 
lics, who detested the Protestants, and it was chiefly on 
account of religion that Holland was making war upon 
Spain and Portugal. You will understand, therefore, 
that the Portuguese did all they could to give the stran- 
gers a bad reputation, and honest pilot Adams says : — 

" The evil report of the Portuguese caused the gov- 
ernor and common people to think ill of us, in such 
manner that we looked always when we should be set 
upon crosses, which is the execution in this land for 
piracy and other crimes. Thus daily more and more 
the Portugals (Portuguese) incensed the justice and 
people against us." 

But the Japanese acted on the whole very honorably. 
The daimio sent soldiers on board to see that none of 
the cargo was stolen ; they piloted the ship into a safe 
harbor, until the regent (lyeyasu) decided what should 
be done, and in the meanwhile they obtained permis- 
sion to land their sick, among whom was the captain, 



99 

and were given a comfortable house. lyeyasu, at this 
time, was at Osaka, and he sent orders that Will 
Adams and one of the sailors should be brought be- 
fore him. The story is told so simply and in such a 
straightforward manner by him, that I will let him tell 
it to you in his own words. It will also show you what 
kind of a man lyeyasu was : — 

" So, taking one man with me, I went to him, taking 
my leave of our captain, and all the others that were 
sick, and commending myself into His hands, that had 
preserved me from so many perils of the sea. I was 
carried in one of the king's (regent's) galleys to the 
court at Osaka, about eighty leagues from the place 
where the ship was. The 12th of May, 1600, I came to 
the great king's city, who caused me to be brought into 
the palace, being a wonderful costly house, gilded with 
gold in abundance. 

"Coming before the king (lyeyasu), he viewed me 
well, and seemed to be kind and wonderful favorable. 
He made many signs unto me, some of which I under- 
stood, and some I did not. In the end there came one 
who could speak Portuguese. By him the king de- 
manded of what land I was, and what moved us to 
come to his land. I showed unto him the name of our 
country, and that our land had long sought out the East 
Indies, and desired friendship with all kings and poten- 
tates in way of merchandise, having in our land divers 
commodities, which these lands had not ; and also to buy 
such merchandise in this land as our country had not. 

" Then the great king asked whether our country had 
wars. I answered him, 'Yea, with the Spaniards and 



Portugals (Portuguese), being in peace with all other 
nations.' Further, he asked me in what did I believe. 
I said, * In God that made heaven and earth.' He asked 
me divers other questions of things of religion, and 
many other things, as what way we came to his coun- 
try. Having a chart of the whole world with me, I 
showed him through the Straits of Magelhaens (Magel- 
lan) ; at which he wondered, and thought me to lie. 

" Thus, from one thing to another, I abode with him 
till midnight. And having asked me what merchandise 
we had in our ship, I showed him samples of all. In 
the end, he being ready to depart, I desired that we 
might have trade of merchandise, as the Portugals (Por- 
tuguese) had. To which he made me an answer, but 
what it was I did not understand. So he commanded 
me to be carried to prison. But two days after he sent 
for me again, and inquired of the qualities and condi- 
tions of our countries, of wars and peace, of beasts and 
cattle of all sorts, of heaven and the stars. It seemed 
that he was well content with all mine answers. Never- 
theless, I was commanded to prison again; but my 
lodging was bettered in another place (but I received 
better lodging in another place). 

" So I remained nine-and-thirty days in prison, having 
no news neither of our ship nor captain, whether he 
were recovered of his sickness, nor of the rest of the 
company (crew)." 

All this time the Portuguese were trying to induce 
lyeyasu to have Adams and his fellow sailors executed, 
but after considering the question he answered thus, 
according to Adams: — 



lOI 

" That as yet we had done no hurt or damage to him 
nor to any of his land, and that therefore it was against 
reason and justice to put us to death ; and if our coun- 
tries and theirs (Portugal) had wars one with the other, 
that was no cause that he should put us to death." 
Adams adds: "The emperor (regent) answering them 
in this manner, they were quite out of heart that their 
cruel pretense failed ; for the which, God be praised ! 

" Now, in this time that I was in prison, the ship was 
commanded to be brought so near to the city, where the 
emperor was, as she might, the which was done. So 
the one-and-fortieth day of my imprisonment, the em- 
peror (regent) called me before him again, demanding 
of me many questions more, which are too long to write. 
In conclusion he asked me whether I were desirous to 
go to the ship to see my countrymen. I answered that 
I would very gladly do it ; so he bade me go. Then I 
departed and was freed from imprisonment. And this 
was the first news that I had that the ship and company 
were come to the city. 

"Wherefore, with a rejoicing heart, I took a boat and 
went to our ship, where I found the captain and the 
rest recovered of their sickness. But at our first meet- 
ing aboard we saluted one another with mourning and 
shedding of tears ; for they were informed that I was 
executed and long since dead." 

Everything had been taken out of the ship, but 
lyeyasu would have no such robbery. He had the 
cargo and personal property collected and ordered 
money to be given to the captain and his crew to 
procure food and other necessaries. He had, in the 



102 

meanwhile, returned to Yedo, and ordered the ship to 
be brought there. The sailors mutinied, demanding 
all the money, and lyeyasu refused to allow them to 
return. They now scattered, each man going where 
he pleased. They received during life two pounds 
of rice per day each, and about ;^20 per month, a 
liberal allowance, in days when everything was cheap. 

But Adams rose in great favor with the regent. He 
tells us : " So, in process of four or five years, the 
emperor (lyeyasu) called me, as he had done divers 
times before, and would have me to make him a small 
ship. I answered that I was no carpenter, and had 
little knowledge thereof. ' Well,' saith he, ' do it so 
well as you can ; if it be not good, it is no matter.' 
Wherefore at his command I built him a ship, of the 
burthen of eighty tons, or thereabouts ; which ship 
being made in all proportions as our manner is, he 
coming aboard to see it, liked it well ; by which means 
I came in more favor with him, so that I came often 
into his presence, clnd, from time to time, he gave me 
many presents. Now being in such grace and favor 
with the emperor (lyeyasu), by reason I taught him 
some points of geometry and the mathematics, with other 
things, I pleased him so, that what I said could not be 
contradicted. At which my former enemies, the Portu- 
guese, did greatly wonder, and entreated me to befriend 
them to the emperor in their business ; and so by my 
means, both Spaniards and Portugals (Portuguese) have 
received friendship from the emperor, I recompensing 
their evil unto me with good." 

The captain of the Erasmus was at length permitted 



I 



I03 

to return. He carried letters from Adams to England, 
where the pilot had a wife and two children. Adams 
hoped that when it was known where he was, some 
effort would be made to obtain his release, for lye- 




Tree on the coast where Will Adams lived 



yasu found 
his services 
too valuable 
to allow him to 
return. He received 
a piece of land and 
the revenues of a 
village for his support. His tomb was discovered about 
twenty years ago at Hemi (hay-mee), a village on the 
railroad between Yokohama and Yokosuka (yo-kos'-kah). 
There is a street in Tokyo, An-jin (an-jeen) Cho, — Pilot 
Street, — named after him. 



PERSECUTIONS OF THE CHRISTIANS 



M 



ANY Spanish and Portuguese missionaries came 
to Japan, and the number of converts was con- 
stantly increasing. But the different orders of priest- 
hood began to quarrel among themselves, and the regent 
of Japan was a man who was decided to maintain peace 
in his domain. In the year 1597 captains of Portuguese 
vessels were notified that they must not bring any more 
priests into the country ; but none the less priests con- 
tinued to come from the Spanish possessions in the 
Philippine Islands, and some monks, with more zeal 
than discretion, went to Kyoto, preached in the streets 
of the capital and even began to build a church there, 
although this was sPgainst the law. Japanese books also 
mention that in 1596 a Portuguese bishop met on the 
street one of the highest officers of state going to 
court. Instead of having his chair stopped, as the law 
of courtesy required, he not only ordered his bearers to 
go on, but turned his head aside in contempt when he 
passed the official's chair. This in itself was a direct 
insult, and no Japanese will forgive a willful breach 
of the laws of courtesy. This officer ever afterwards 
felt a deadly hatred against the Portuguese, and con- 
tinually reminded the regent of their vanity, pride, and 
insolence. 

104 



I05 

In these days, too, the native converts had become 
overzealous ; they insulted the Buddhist priests, broke 
their images, and even destroyed their temples. lyeyasu 
thought that he saw danger to the state in this aggres- 
sive way of preaching the Christian religion, and de- 
cided to pluck it out, root and branch. 

The persecution of the Christians had commenced 
a year before the death of Hideyoshi. In 1 597 twenty- 




Temple of lyeyasu 

six Christians were crucified, most of them being native 
converts, although a few Portuguese were among the 
number. 

In the year 1609 two Dutch ships arrived in Japan. 
They had come for the purpose of capturing the Portu- 
guese vessel which sailed once a year from Macao, but 
they were five or six days late. Their captains went 
up to Yedo; there they were received by the regent, 



io6 

who was favorably disposed toward thena through the 
efforts of Will Adams. A treaty was made by which 
they agreed to send one or two vessels a year for the 
purpose of trading. The first vessel arrived in 1611, 
and her officers and crew were kindly received and 
entertained. 

Before the Dutch had time to establish any influence, 
the persecution of Christians broke out with great fury, 
and it increased a few years later, in 1614, when a great 
many of the Japanese converts, who would not abjure 
their faith, and trample on the cross, suffered death by 
crucifixion. Monks and priests of religious orders were 
scattered and many fled from the country. 

All this time the Portuguese merchants were not inter- 
fered with, though captains of vessels were repeatedly 
notified that they must bring in no more missionaries. 
But as they still continued to smuggle in priests, a law 
was made by which they could trade only in the small 
island of Deshima (day-shee-mah), in the harbor of 
Nagasaki (nang-ah-sah-kee). If you look on your map 
you will see that this famous old city is on the west 
coast of Kiushiu. It has a beautiful harbor. 

A Portuguese vessel from Japan, bound for Lisbon, 
was captured by the Dutch near the Cape of Good 
Hope, and among the papers of this ship was found a 
letter from a Japanese Christian, known to Europeans 
by the name of Captain Moro (moh-roh). This letter 
was addressed to the king of Portugal. It contained 
a request for soldiers and ships, which had been prom- 
ised from Portugal, with the aid of which the captain 
and his friends hoped to overturn the empire and form 



I07 

a new Christian government. The letter contained also 
the names of several daimio who had agreed to join 
the conspiracy. The Dutch lost no time in delivering 
this letter to the Japanese authorities. Moro was 
arrested, and although he denied his guilt, his signature 
and private seal were sufficient to convict him. He 
was burned alive at the stake, and in the course of 
that year, 1637, a law was passed that the whole race 
of the Portuguese, with their mothers, nurses, and all 
their belongings, should be banished forever. And the 
same law contained the clauses which secluded Japan 
from the world until Perry appeared in Yedo Bay. 

This law says : " No Japanese ship or boat, or any 
native of Japan, shall henceforth presume to quit the 
country, under pain of forfeiture and death ; any Japa- 
nese returning from a foreign country shall be put to 
death; no nobleman or samurai shall be suffered to 
purchase anything of a foreigner ; any person pre- 
suming to bring a letter from abroad, or to return to 
Japan after he has been banished, shall die, with all his 
family, and whosoever presumes to intercede for such 
offenders shall be put to death," etc. It also contained 
provisions against the Christian religion and the con- 
verts, and from that year the persecution of the Chris- 
tians continued relentlessly. 

Several Portuguese left at once ; a few remained, 
hoping that the affair would pass over, but the regent, 
having determined that they should go, declared them 
enemies of Japan. They were compelled to leave, and 
their profitable trade passed into the hands of the 
Dutch. 



io8 

The native Christians, cruelly persecuted and op- 
pressed, entered into open rebellion, and this, it 
appears, was what the government desired. They 
defended themselves bravely at Shimabara (shee-mah- 
bah-rah), and the government then appealed to the 
Dutch for aid. 

The chief of the factory, as the trading office was 
called, upon receiving the regent's orders, left for the 
doomed town, and after having planted a battery, 
assaulted it from the shore and from his ship. The 
Christian Japanese made a strong defense, and the 
town was blockaded for nearly two months before it 
was taken ; then men, women, and children were 
slaughtered. The Dutch had received permission to 
withdraw before this final act. 

It is stated in Japanese books that over 40,000 men 
were killed on both sides before famine rendered the 
town defenseless, and now the work of stamping out 
Christianity was continued with the greatest cruelty. 
A small band, secretly continuing the service, escaped 
the strict, search. They were discovered after the revo- 
lution of 1867, and scattered to various parts of Japan, 
but upon the request of the British minister, they were 
permitted to return home. Shortly after this, the edicts 
against Christianity were removed, and now a Japanese 
may believe what he pleases, provided that he does not 
doubt the divinity of the emperor and his ancestors. 



RESTRICTIONS OF THE DUTCH 

IT was partly because the Dutch imported goods which 
were needed by the Japanese, but also because 
lyeyasu saw the necessity of knowing what was pass- 
ing in the world, that they were permitted to dwell and 
trade in Japan, under very severe restrictions. The 
island of Deshima, or Outward Island, in Nagasaki 
harbor, was assigned to them as a residence and trading 
post, but it was little better than a prison. A small 
stone bridge connected the town with the island. This 
bridge was closed by a gate, and near it was a guard- 
house occupied by policemen and soldiers, who prevented 
the Dutch from leaving the island without express per- 
mission, and the Japanese from entering unless they 
were officially employed. All those who entered or 
left were closely searched. No foreign servants were 
allowed, and the natives could serve their foreign 
rnasters only between sunrise and sunset, as they were 
not allowed to pass the night on the island. 

The Dutch lived in houses built by some enterprising 
Nagasaki people, who rented them at a very high 
price. They were allowed to furnish them as they 
pleased, and to obtain their furniture from Batavia or 
have it made by Japanese workmen. They were not 

109 



no 

permitted to handle their own money, probably from 
fear that they might bribe the officers ; but the govern- 
ment appointed a paymaster who settled all the bills, 
and when a ship arrived, the cargo was taken by 
Japanese agents who sold it, and with the money thus 
received, settled the account of the paymaster, and pur- 
chased the goods which the general agent desired to 
send back. 

The number of Hollanders allowed to reside on 
Deshima was eleven : a general agent, who was held 
responsible for the good behavior of the other inmates ; 
a warehouse master, who attended to the storing and 
delivery of the goods ; a secretary or bookkeeper ; a 
physician ; five clerks ; and two warehousemen. Wives 
or daughters were under no circumstances permitted to 
land or reside on the island. 

The paymaster, interpreters, servants, and all those 
connected with the foreigners were provided with a 
ticket which they were obliged to show to the guard 
whenever they passed through the gate. These per- 
sons, before they entered upon their duty were com- 
pelled to sign, with their own blood, an oath promising 
to enter into no friendship with the Dutch ; to give 
them no information whatever about the history, re- 
ligion, laws, manners, or language of Japan. Except 
for this the Hollanders would have been glad to while 
away the time by studying the customs and manners of 
the country ; but the scant information which they 
managed to extract, now and then, by bribery, was not 
very reliable. 

At first the general agent was required to go to Yedo 



Ill 

once a year to pay his respects to the regent, and to 
offer the presents agreed upon when the Dutch were 
permitted to reside in Japan. But the expense of the 
journey was so great that these presents were soon sent 
through Japanese, and the general agent himself went 
only once in four years. These journeys were always 
begun in February, that month with March, April, and 
May being the most pleasant for traveling. It took a 
long time to make the necessary preparations, for the 
Japanese are very fond of ceremonies, and the omission 
of even one would have been deemed a serious insult. 

The party of Hollanders going to the capital usually 
consisted of the general agent, his secretary, and the 
physician, together with a large number of native 
officials and servants. Most of the journey was made 
on land, and each of the Hollanders, as well as each of 
the native officials, was carried in a norimono (noh-ree'- 
moh-noh), a sort of sedan chair, with windows closed 
with bamboo curtains and a roof like that of a house. 
All these norimono required bearers. Besides these 
there were the carriers of the presents, the boxes con- 
taining clothing, cooking apparatus, chairs, etc., and the 
numerous cooks and body servants of the Dutch and the 
officials. Altogether there were not less than two hun- 
dred persons, and although they were frequently enter- 
tained by the daimio through whose territories they 
passed, the expense connected with such a trip was very 
heavy. 

Because it will convey to you a good idea of what 
Japan was under the government of lyeyasu and his 
successors, I shall give you an account of such a journey 



112 

made by Dr. von Siebold, who lived in Deshima as 
physician of the trading post, and who succeeded in 
learning much concerning Japan. 

During the journey across the island of Kiushiu, the 
Dutch were entertained by the various daimio. As 
they approached the territory of one of these lords, they 
were met by a detachment of samurai who welcomed 
them in name of the daimio and escorted them through 
his domain. They left their norimono at Kokura (koh- 
koo-rah) to wait for their return, and here they went on 
board a vessel prepared for them. They landed every 
night on one of the thousand islands with which the 
Inland Sea is dotted, and if the wind was unfavorable, 
they were sometimes detained several days. But they 
were obliged to reach Yedo within a given time, al- 
though a liberal allowance was made for unavoidable 
delays. The doctor found that several guidebooks 
existed in which the distances, charges at inns, price of 
bearers and of ferries, were accurately given. 

The roads in Japan are uniformly good, and are kept 
scrupulously clean; frequently they are bordered with 
trees, and the views are everywhere beautiful. One of 
the sights which struck the travelers was the number 
of stalls where straw shoes for horses and oxen are 
sold. The people counted the distances by the number 
of horseshoes that were required. They do this still 
in the interior where there are as yet no railroads. 
The Dutch were much interested, too, in the farmyards 
which they passed on their way. At one place. Dr. von 
Siebold visited a Buddhist temple, where he found no 
idols excepting Buddha, and the priests there were 




STO. OF JAPAN— 8 



1 14 

allowed to eat meat. At another place he found a cam- 
phor tree that had been mentioned by another traveler 
from Deshima in 1691. He measured it and found it 
about fifty feet in circumference* It was still standing 
in 1826, and was green and healthy. 

When they passed through the territory of the 
daimio of Hizen (hee-zen), the Hollanders were invited 
to bathe in the daimio's own bath, and found it exceed- 
ingly clean ; the water, although clear as crystal, was 
made to run through fine sieves, so that not a particle of 
dirt could pass in. Another daimio offered them the 
use of his own private rooms in his country seat. From 
such courtesies received everywhere along the road it 
was evident that the Japanese did not object to having 
foreigners live in their country. 

When they left Kiushiu, they sent the heavy baggage 
ahead to rejoin them when they should land at the main 
island of Hondo. They had a prosperous voyage across, 
though on the previous journey, the party had been de- 
tained a long time by storms and head winds. The 
Japanese sailors, to induce the sea god to give them 
favorable weather, threw overboard a small barrel of 
sake (sah-kay) — that is, brandy made from rice — and 
a number of copper coins. The money sank, but the 
barrel floated and was found by some poor fishermen. 
What do you think these people did with it ? Instead 
of keeping it for themselves, or selling it, they carried it 
to a temple, for they knew that it was intended for a 
god, and not for them. 

When the party landed in Hondo, they found other 
norimono waiting for them, and continued their journey 



115 

overland. They rested for a day or two at Osaka, but 
were not allowed to go out to see anything. Here, as 
in every city where they stopped, they were secretly 
visited by Japanese who wanted to learn something, 
the greatest number of these visitors being physicians 
or their patients. Here, too, the general agent ordered 
such goods as were to be manufactured before his return. 

It took a day and a half to cover the distance between 
Osaka and Kyoto; now it is done by railroad in less 
than one hour. In Kyoto the travelers rested again, and 
were watched more closely than at any other place. 
Still they received a very large number of secret visit- 
ors, and here the doctor must have found out that the 
Tenno was the real ruler of Japan. 

And now they entered upon the longest part of 
their overland journey, where they frequently met some 
of the daimio, returning from Yedo with a numerous 
band of samurai. But there was no disorder, nor were 
the strangers ever insulted ; on the contrary, good will 
and courtesy were shown everywhere. 

The road they were now traveling, being used by 
all the daimio of the south, was strongly guarded, 
lyeyasu and his successors had made a law by which 
all the daimio of the empire were compelled to dwell 
half the time in Yedo, and when they were absent in 
their territory, their wives and children were held as 
hostages in the regent's capital. No one could pass 
the two guard posts on the road without a special pass- 
port, and the officers were exceedingly strict in guard- 
ing against the smuggling through of women, probably 
from fear that the wife of some powerful daimio might 



ii6 

leave the capital in secret. Unless personally known 
to the guard, travelers had to submit to a strict scru- 
tiny, so that no woman could pass in man's clothing. 
For if a female should pass through without a special 
permit, the guard knew that death would be his fate. 

Here is an instance showing how strictly this law 
Was observed, and how the guard who was responsible 
escaped detection : — 

A poor business man of Yedo was obliged to go to a 
town on this road. He was a widower with two chil- 
dren, a boy and a girl, and he could not afford to pay for 
their board during his absence; so he was compelled 
to take them with him. He had not enough influence 
to obtain a passport for his daughter, so he dressed her 
as a boy, and succeeded in passing the guard in the 
Hakone Mountains. But a little further on, he was 
overtaken by a man who knew him and his family, and 
who, seeing the girl in boy's clothing, had no difficulty 
in understanding the situation. He asked the father 
for money, and the latter gave him as much as he could 
spare. The man, however, demanded more, and when 
the father refused, a quarrel ensued. The man there- 
upon went back to the guardhouse to betray the father. 

The guards were anything but pleased at the man's 
report. If it turned out to be true, and the facts 
were published, they would be put to death. But 
the officer in charge saw a way out of the danger. 
He sent a messenger with a little boy, to overtake the 
travelers. They were found at a tea house, taking some 
refreshments, and the messenger took the father aside, 
and told him what had happened. "Now," said he, 



" some officers are going to follow you to inspect the 
children ; if they find the girl, you will all be punished. 
But you must hide your daughter and take this little 
boy; and when the officers see that both children are 
boys, they will let you go, and you can travel on with 
your own children. If the man who informed upon 
you says anything, draw your sword and kill him. The 
officers will not interfere." 

In the meanwhile the chief officer of the guard had 
detailed some of his men to go with the informer to 
overtake the children, but these men were privately in- 
structed not to hurry, so that the messenger might have 
time to execute his errand. When they arrived, they 
surrounded the house and seized the two children. 
They appeared well pleased to find that they were 
both boys. The informer, however, insisted that there 
was some trickery in this, and the father, drawing his 
sword, cut off the man's head ; then the father, ex- 
changing the boy for his daughter, proceeded safely 
on his way. 



A VISIT TO THE REGENT 

THE travelers at last approached Yedo forty-eight 
days after leaving Deshima — a journey which 
is now made by steamer in two and aliali mys, A&: 
the party came near the gates of the city, they were 
met by a detachment of samurai who were to act as 
escort. The Hollanders crossed the city and entered 
the precincts of the castle, where they were lodged 
in a house especially prepared. for them. Here, in the 
capital, they were held in even more rigid seclusion 
than in Nagasaki ; but here, also, they were visited by 
many prominent Japanese, among whom was the daimio 
of Mito. (mee-toh), *the brother of the regent. Uniform 
kindness was shown to them. A great fire procured 
for them more than usual liberty. As these fires are 
very common in Japan, even to-day, I shall give the 
description in the words of one of the travelers : — 

*' At ten o'clock in the morning of the twenty-second 
of April, we heard that a fire had broken out in the town, 
at the distance of about two leagues from our quarters. 
We took no heed of the news, so common are fires at 
Yedo — a fine night never passing without one. As they 
are less frequent during rain, a lowering evening is a sub- 
ject for mutual congratulation to the people in Yedo. 

ii8 



119 

The flames came nearer and nearer ; and at about 
three o'clock in the afternoon, a high wind driving the 
sparks toward our neighborhood, four different houses 




Daimio at home 



around were soon in flames. Two hours before this 
occurred, we had been sufficiently alarmed to begin 
packing ; so that now, when the danger had become 
imminent, we were prepared to make our escape. 



I20 

" On coming into the street, we saw everything blaz- 
ing about us. To run with the flames before the wind 
appeared very dangerous ; so, taking an obhque direc- 
tion, we ran through a street that was already burning, 
and thus reached an open field beyond the conflagra- 
tion. The place was set thick with the flags of princes 
(daimio), whose palaces were already consumed, and 
who had escaped thither with their wives and children. 
We followed their example, and appropriated a spot to 
ourselves by setting up a small Dutch flag used in 
crossing rivers. We had now a full view of the fire, 
and never did I see anything so terrible. The horrors 
of this sea of flame were enhanced by the heartrending 
cries and lamentations of fleeing women and children. 

" Here we were for the moment safe, but had no 
home. The governor of Nagasaki, then resident at 
Yedo, had been dismissed; and the house of his suc- 
cessor, appointed that very day, was already in ashes. 
We had quarters assigned to us in the house of the 
other governor, — Ihen resident at Nagasaki, — which 
stands quite at the other side of the town." Thither we 
were led at half past ten in the evening, and were re- 
ceived and all our wants supplied in the most friendly 
manner." 

The next day the travelers received a visit from their 
former host. " He told us that thirty-seven palaces of 
princes (daimio) had been destroyed, and that about 
twelve hundred persons (including a little daughter of 
the daimio of Awa (ah-wah) were either burned to death 
or drowned. This last misfortune was caused by the 
breaking down of the celebrated bridge Nihon bashi 



121 

(nee-hon bash-ee), under the weight of the flying mul- 
titude. Those in the rear, unconscious of the accident, 
and wild to escape the flames, drove those in front 
forward into the water." 

And now I shall give you an account of the visit 
paid by the Hollanders to the regent. As the same 
ceremonies were always observed, I shall give the 
account of one of the general agents. He says: — 

" A sort of full dress is ordered for the occasion. That 
of the general agent is composed of velvet ; the doctor's 
and the secretary's are of cloth trimmed with gold or 
silver lace, or embroidered with gold or silver. All 
three wear cloaks, that of the general agent being of 
velvet, the others of black satin ; but these are not put 
on till the men reach the interior of the palace. The 
general agent alone enjoys the privilege of having his 
sword borne behind him in a black velvet bag, no other 
foreigner in Japan being suffered even to retain his side 
arms. 

" On the appointed day, the 28th of the third Japa- 
nese month (which then corresponded to the third of 
May), we repaired in state to the palace, at six o'clock 
in the morning, that we might be there before the 
arrival of the state councilors. We were carried in 
our norimonos into the castle, and to the gate of 
the palace, where even princes are obliged to alight, 
except three, who, being princes of the blood, are 
brought as far as the gate, opposite to the guard of 
a hundred men. To this guard we proceeded on foot, 
and there awaited the coming of the councilors of 
state. We were desired to sit on benches covered with 



k 



122 

red hangings, and were offered tea and the materials 
for smoking. Here we saw the governor of Nagasaki, 
and one of the chief spies or general commissioners 
for strangers, who, after congratulating us upon our 
prospect of immediate happiness in approaching the 
emperor (regent), left for the palace. 

** Then came the commandant of the guard to visit 
the general agent — and here it is necessary to stand 
rigidly upon one's rank. The commandant required 
that I should come down from the inner room, which 
is held the most honorable, into the first or outer room, 
because his inferior rank did not authorize him to enter 
the inner room. I, on my side, asserted the impossi- 
bility of leaving the upper place assigned me. The 
commandant then advanced; but he paused at the dis- 
tance of two mats (about twelve feet), and thence 
saluted me. By thus resolutely maintaining my place 
(which must always be done in Japan when one is 
right), I insured the observance of old customs, the 
restoration of which' — if through good nature one ever 
gives way — is exceedingly difficult. 

"When all the state councilors had arrived, we were 
invited to cross the other courts and enter the palace, 
where we were received by persons who, but for their 
shaven heads, might be compared to European pages. 
They conducted us to a waiting room, where we sat 
down on the floor, in a reclining posture, and covered 
our feet with our cloaks — to show one's feet being con- 
sidered in Japan an act of gross rudeness. After re- 
maining here some time, the governor of Nagasaki and 
the commissioner for foreigners led me into the ante- 



1^3 

room, where I was desired to perfect myself in the 
part I had to act, as the governor would pay the pen- 
alty of any imperfection. I was then led back to the 
waiting hall. Not long afterwards I accompanied the 
governor to the reception hall, from which we saw 
several grandees returning. 

" I was led along a wooden corridor to the hall of a 
hundred mats, so named from its being carpeted with 
a hundred mats, each six feet by three. They are 
made of straw, are about two inches thick, and over 
them are laid others of finer texture, ornamentally bor- 
dered ; such mats are used in Japan to cover every 
handsome sitting room. There we left the chief inter- 
preter, and, with the governor of Nagasaki, I was now 
ushered into the audience hall, where I saw the presents 
arranged on my left hand. Here we found the emperor 
(so the Dutch considered the regent), whose dress dif- 
fered in no respect from that of his subjects. I paid 
my compliments in the precise form in which the 
princes of the realm pay theirs, while one of the state 
councilors announced me by the shout of Capitan Ho- 
randa ! (Holland Chief). Hereupon the governor of 
Nagasaki, who stood a step or two behind me, pulled 
me by the cloak in token that the audience was over. 
The whole ceremony does not occupy one minute." 

It is entirely true that the general agents paid their 
respects in the same manner as the daimio paid theirs, 
and as every Japanese salutes his equal or his superior 
in rank. Still it was somewhat humiliating to men of 
their race. Here is a more detailed description of the 
ceremony, given by a most trustworthy eyewitness : — 



124 

" As soon," he says, " as the general agent entered 
the hall of audience, they cried out ' Horanda Capitan,' 
which was the signal for him to draw near and make 
his obeisances. Accordingly, he crawled on his hands 
and knees to a place shown him, between the presents 
ranged in due order on one side, and the place where 
the emperor (regent) sat on the other ; and there, kneel- 
ing, he bowed his forehead quite down to the ground, 
and so crawled backward like a crab, without uttering 
a single word. So mean and short a thing is the audi- 
ence we have of this mighty monarch." 



A SHREWD JUDGE 

A MONEY LENDER of Osaka at one time missed 
a sum of money amounting to over three thousand 
dollars. Aghast at this discovery, and almost in de- 
spair at his great loss, he tried to remember the names 
of his customers and visitors since he had counted his 
hoard, but could attach suspicion to no one. He now 
began to watch his servants and at last felt convinced 
that one of them, if not the actual thief, was aware of 
what had become of his gold. This servant, Tsuji, 
(tsoo-jee) was taken by the money lender into his pri- 
vate room, and accused of the theft, which, however, 
he emphatically denied. His master tried to obtain a 
clue to the whereabouts of the lost money, first by 
promises of pardon and even of reward, and when these 
proved of no avail, by threats of speedy punishment. 
But it was all in vain. Tsuji protested that he was 
innocent, and had no knowledge whatever of his master's 
gold. The money lender then had him arrested for the 
theft 

Osaka, the second city of the empire in population, 
is now and has been for many centuries the wealthiest 
city of Japan. It is situated in the south-central part 
of the island of Hondo, accessible to junks, which, on 

125 



126 



account of the many canals intersecting the city, can 
load and unload in almost any quarter. Being close 
to the Inland Sea, and only a short distance from 




A judge in court 

Kiushiu, and Shikoku, it almost controls the trade of 
these three islands. To protect the commercial inter- 
ests of its enterprising merchants, the regents in Yedq 



I 
i 



127 

took care to send able and good men as governors, who 
were at the same time judges in civil and criminal 
cases. At the time we are speaking of, the governor 
judge was Matsura (mah-tsoo-rah), a good, able, and 
shrewd man. 

Tsuji was brought before this judge and examined 
by him. After hearing all the circumstances, the judge 
was inclined to beheve in the man's guilt, but in answer 
to the questions put to him, the servant replied simply : 
" I do not know ! " or " I did not do it ! " At last the 
judge threatened to have him tortured, but Tsuji said : 
" You may do your worst ; but no amount of torture 
will make me confess a crime of which I am not guilty." 
The quiet, firm way in which the prisoner uttered these 
words and his fearless bearing had their effect upon the 
judge. Nevertheless he gave a signal, and Tsuji was 
led to prison. 

The governor now sent for the money lender and his 
other servants, and examined one after the other. 
Each one declared that no one but Tsuji could have 
stolen the money. But when asked for proofs, they 
were obliged to confess that they had none. 

The money lender was very angry with his former 
servant, and implored the judge to have him put to 
death. Matsura sat for some time in deep thought. 
At last he seemed to make up his mind. He ordered 
the other servants to be brought before him and asked 
master and servants if they were ready to declare in 
writing and over their hand and seal that Tsuji was 
guilty of the theft, and demand his execution. All 
agreed to this. ''Very well," said the judge, ** let each 



128 

of you sign this ! " And he gave them a paper on 
which was written : — 

" Tsuji, servant of our master, has robbed him of five thousand 
dollars. This we attest hereby, and demand that he be punished 
with death, as a warning to others. We, the kinsmen and servants 
of our master, affix to this our signatures and seals." 

After they had signed this paper and put their seals 
to it, they returned it to the judge, who said: "This 
paper relieves me of all responsibility. Is it your desire 
that Tsuji be put to death?" "It is," they replied. 
" So be it ! " said Matsura. The money lender then 
withdrew with his servants, after thanking the judge 
for complying with his request. 

Not long afterwards, a robber was arrested in the act 
of stealing, and brought before Judge Matsura, who 
ordered him to be put to torture. This man was a 
daring criminal and he confessed stealing the money 
lender's hoard, besides many other crimes. There 
was no doubt of his guilt, since he entered into details 
of how he had secured and spent this money. As soon 
as this confession had been written down and signed, 
Matsura sent for the money lender and his servants, 
andj addressing the former, said sternly : — 

"You accused Tsuji of stealing, without proof of his 
guilt. You demanded the death of an innocent man, 
and I, who should have insisted upon proofs before 
granting your request, condemned him. The dead can- 
not be brought back, but justice can and must be done. 
You, your wife, kindred, and servants, shall die. And 
I, who am also guilty, will commit hara-kiri." 



129 

The money lender and his servants, knowing the 
character of the judge, felt that there was no escape. 
They were overwhelmed with despair, wrung their 
hands, wept, and begged for mercy. But the judge 
sternly refused to listen to their piteous cries. The 
officers of the court also interceded with the judge for 
his own life, telling him that he had done no wrong by 
pronouncing sentence after receiving the written state- 
ment of the plaintiff. But the judge replied only : 
'* No, if these men are guilty, I cannot be innocent." 

When all were convinced that nothing could move the 
judge, he spoke again to the despairing money lender : 

" You know now how hard it is to die, but you had 
no pity when you demanded the blood of a man who 
had served you honestly and well. I should not be 
worthy of the trust placed in me if I had listened to 
your demand, and had condemned the prisoner without 
convincing proof. Tsuji is alive, and therefore your 
life shall be spared. But for the long imprisonment he 
has undergone, and the agony and suspense which he 
has suffered, you shall compensate him. My judgment 
is that you shall pay him the amount you accused him 
of stealing ; and that it be made known in public that 
he is innocent of all crime." 

The money lender, overjoyed at having his own life 
saved, gladly agreed to this. Tsuji was brought into 
court and informed that his innocence was established 
and that he would be a rich man. Japanese writers 
tell this story with pride, as showing that, even if they 
had no written laws, their judges were quite able to see 
that justice was done. 

STO. OF JAPAN — g 



TOSA'S REVENGE 

IYEYASU had given his granddaughter in marriage 
to Hideyori, the son and heir of his late chief and 
brother-in-law Hideyoshi, but this did not prevent him 
from making himself regent. Many of the great daimio 
saw that they would have even less power under the new 
regent than they had possessed under the " Lord of the 
Golden Water Gourds," and so they conspired against 
lyeyasu under pretense of defending Hideyori's rights. 
Among these lords was the daimio of Tosa (toh-sah). 
He followed the fortunes of lyeyasu's grandson, and 
when his party was defeated, fell into the hands of the 
victor. lyeyasu had him put in prison, and treated him 
as a common criminal. But Japanese of the warrior 
class are not easily daunted, and Tosa persisted in 
upbraiding his conqueror until lyeyasu ordered his 
hands cut off, which was the greatest disgrace, he could 
inflict upon him. So far from humbling Tosa, this only 
served to exasperate him ; and at last he was beheaded 
by order of the angry regent, and his estate was con- 
fiscated. 

Tosa left a son, nine years old. Young as he was, 
this child understood the disgrace which his father had 
suffered, and even at that early age, thought of nothing 

130 



131 

but revenge. But lyeyasu had taken proper precau- 
tion, and he, and his heirs after him, were too firmly 
established and too powerful to be easily disturbed. 




Practicing with the bow and arrow 

Years passed by, the boy grew to manhood, and was 
noted for his skill and strength in arms. He appeared 
to have completely forgotten the cause and circum- 
stances of his father's death, but this attitude was only 



132 

assumed to confirm the fancied security of his enemy. 
Still he had no opportunity to satisfy his revenge until 
the greatgrandson of lyeyasu, named lyemitsu (ee-yay- 
meets), succeeded as regent. The lawful heir of Tosa 
was then appointed commander of the pikemen of the 
new regent's uncle, and thought that the moment had 
arrived to gratify his sole object in life. 

By some means he discovered that the regent's uncle 
had no great affection for the new ruler, and when he 
sounded this uncle's former tutor, a man of humble 
birth but of great ability, he found ready sympathy. 
His plan was to destroy the whole race of lyeyasu and 
to divide the empire between himself and the tutor. 
Strange as it seems, it appears that the regent's uncle 
knew and approved of the conspiracy, although he was 
probably not aware of the fate in store for him if the 
plans of the conspirators were crowned with success. 

As I have told you in another chapter, the spy system 
had be^n brought to a rare degree of perfection, and 
although Tosa had kept his secret hidden in his heart 
for almost fifty years, the approach of success seems to 
have rendered him more careless. An incautious re- 
mark caused suspicion, and careful investigations hd 
to the disclosure of his scheme. Orders were given to 
arrest him and the tutor, but, in order that the names 
of the other conspirators might be discovered, it, was 
decided to take him by surprise. 

One evening when Tosa was at home, happy in the 
thought of the near approach of the longed-for revenge, 
an alarm of fire was sounded near his door. Without 
any suspicion of trickery he ran out to see if there was 



133 

any immediate danger ; and was suddenly surrounded 
and attacked. He defended himself bravely, cutting 
down two of his assailants, but was at length overpow- 
ered by numbers and taken prisoner. His wife had 
heard the noise and suspected the cause. While the 
fight was going on, she went to the place where her 
husband kept his papers, and burned them. When the 
officers entered to search for the list of the conspirators' 
names, they could not find it. Tosa's wife, for this act, 
is held in the highest esteem, even by the Japanese of 
to-day, and the greatest flattery that can be bestowed 
upon a woman of that country is to compare her to 
Tosa's wife. 

The regent now gave orders to arrest Tosa's intimate 
friends. The tutor escaped capture by committing 
hara-kiri. Two of the prisoners, upon being examined, 
at once confessed their share in the conspiracy, but 
sternly refused to reveal the names of their friends. 

These two men, together with Tosa, were then given 
over to torture. I shall not describe in detail the 
shocking ordeal through which they passed ; it would 
have shamed even the horrible ingenuity of the North 
American Indian. But the fortitude of the Japanese 
samurai character was such that when they were laid 
upon hot ashes, after being plastered all over with wet 
clay, one of the prisoners said : " I have had a long 
journey, and this warming is good for my health; it 
will supple my joints, and render my limbs more active." 
Other and more dreadful tortures were applied, and 
Tosa, urged by the judge to reveal his accomplices, to 
avoid further suffering, replied scornfully : " Scarcely 



5t34 

had I completed my ninth year when I resolved to 
avenge my father and seize the throne. My courage 
thou canst no more shake than a wall of iron. I defy 
thy ingenuity ! Invent new tortures ; my fortitude is 
proof against them all ! " 

Since no information could be obtained from them, 
the prisoners were condemned to death, and the day 
for the execution was appointed. According to Japa- 
nese law of those days the wife and mother of Tosa, 
with five other women, were also to suffer the death pen- 
alty. The condemned numbered thirty-four, and, headed 
by Tosa, they were led in procession through the 
streets of Yedo. When they had reached the execution 
grounds, a well-dressed man whose two gold-hilted 
swords announced his rank, made his way through the 
crowd, and approached the minister of justice whose 
duty it was to be present at capital punishment. Mak- 
ing the customary salutation to the representative of 
the law, he said : " I am a friend of Tosa, and of the 
tutor. As I live at a great distance, I have but lately 
heard that their conspiracy has been discovered, and I 
came at once to Yedo. I remained in hiding, hoping 
that the regent would pardon Tosa. But now, as he is 
about to die, I come to bid him farewell, and, if neces- 
sary, to die with him." 

" You are a worthy man," replied the minister, " and 
I wish that every one were like you. It is not neces- 
sary that I should request the regent to grant your 
wish. Go and bid farewell to your friend Tosa." 

The two friends were allowed to communicate without 
being interfered with. Tosa thanked his friend for com- 



135 

ing to see him once more, at so great a risk. His friend 
took a sad farewell and in parting said: *'Our body in 
this world resembles a magnificent flower, which, bloom- 
ing at early dawn, fades and dies as soon as the sun has 
risen. But after death we shall be in a better world, 
where we may without interruption enjoy each other's 
society." Having said this, he left, after thanking the 
minister for his kindness. 

The prisoners were then fastened to separate crosses, 
and there killed by the sword. Tosa's wife suffered 
death with no less fortitude than her husband. 

I have told you this story to give you an idea of 
Japanese manners, in the days of lyeyasu and his suc- 
cessors. But it was only in certain cases that men 
of the class to which Tosa and his friends belonged, 
were publicly executed. Treason against the regent 
was one of these. He knew that the power wielded by 
him in Yedo was not lawfully his, and that any noble, 
with sufficient forces, could cause his downfall and 
make himself regent. Public execution involved not 
only disgrace, but also loss of all property. Hara-kiri 
prevented both, while it elevated the name and family 
of the suicide. The samurai, while showing no sign of 
dissatisfaction when one of their number was condemned 
to kill himself, were apt to murmur when one was pub- 
licly disgraced. And no man, whatever his rank and 
influence in Japan, could afford to arraign this most 
powerful class against him. 

Tosa's wife was not examined when her husband's 
papers were missed ; for in Japan a woman was legally 
incapable of giving testimony, and even if the names 



136 

of the conspirators had been wrung from her under 
torture, the government could not have made use of 
her confession, because it was given by a woman. She 
was condemned to death, not because she had burned 
important papers, but because she belonged to Tosa. 
If there had been any children, they also would have 
suffered the same penalty, regardless of age or sex. 
Such was the law of Japan until within recent years. 

Before I close this chapter, you will like to hear what 
became of Tosa's brave friend who visited him just 
before his death. He stopped to witness the execution, 
and, when all was over, he returned once more to the 
minister, to whom he presented his two swords, saying : 
" I am indebted to you for the last conversation with 
my lost friend ; and now I beg of you that you will 
report me to the regent, for I wish to die like Tosa." 

"I will not do so," replied the minister, *'for you 
deserve a better fate than that. You bravely came 
forward to bid him farewell, while others remained in 
hiding, anxious only to save their worthless lives." 

The regent's uncle also was suspected, and so grave 
was the suspicion against him that he was in danger of 
being arrested. And now occurred one of those in- 
stances of loyalty of which we read so often in Japanese 
books. The secretary of this daimio came forward and 
declared that he, and he only, knew of the conspiracy, 
and that his lord was guiltless. And to prove his state- 
ment, he resorted to the usual method, — he committed 
hara-kiri, and thereby saved his master's life and estate. 



A WIFE'S NOBLE ACT 

BEFORE lyeyasu died, he gave large territories to 
his sons, and made provision in case one of his 
successors died without leaving a male heir, that he 
should adopt an heir from one of the three high families 
descended from him. Such a case happened when a 
regent lost his only son by an accident. But this man, 
who possessed none of the excellent qualities of his 
ancestor, determined to adopt as son and heir a boy 
who was the child of a favorite, and of inferior birth. 
Imagine the scandal this project caused in a court 
where high birth and rank were regarded with the 
utmost respect and reverence. The prime minister 
sought his master, and plainly told him that the act 
he meditated would rouse not only the daimio unfavor- 
able to the regent's family, but also those of the blood 
of lyeyasu, and their friends, and that indeed this step 
would probably cause the downfall of his house. As 
the regent . would not yield to argument, the prime 
minister took the unheard-of step of consulting the 
regent's wife. This lady was the daughter of a Tenno, 
and was proud and high-spirited. She listened quietly 
to the prime minister's remarks, and when she was 
fully informed of the danger involved in her husband's 

137 



138 

purpose, bade the alarmed official be of good cheer, 
saying she would undertake to avert the threatened 
peril. She declined, however, to inform him concern- 
ing her plans. 

Time passed on, and finally the regent appointed the 
day when the adoption should take place. The court 
was aghast, for the daughter of the Heaven Child had 
given no sign of her proposed action. At last only 
one day was left, when the regent's wife, long neg- 
lected by her wicked husband, sent him a message 
requesting that he would condescend to partake of 
sake in' her apartments. He consented, and in due 
time made his appearance. She received him as if 
nothing had happened, and, according to Japanese 
customs, served him humbly. While he was drinking, 
she withdrew for a few moments to her private room, 
and there wrote and forwarded a note to the prime 
minister, in which she summoned him to the palace. 
Then, after placing in her girdle a beautiful dagger, 
she returned to the room occupied by her husband. 

1 The regent was in high spirits, and willingly granted 
her request for a private audience, whereupon she dis- 
missed the attendants. 

"My lord," she said, "is all-powerful, and can easily 
grant the request his humble slave would submit." 

" And what is this request ? " asked the regent, 
thinking that it might concern some departure from 
established palace rules. 

" Now let my lord deign to promise me," she in- 
sisted; but the regent would not pledge himself until 
he knew her wishes. Seeing that her husband could 



139 

not be induced to give the desired promise, she plainly 
stated the facts : — 

" I am informed that you have decided to adopt 
a young friend as your heir. My honored lord, has it 
occurred to you that this step would arouse the fury 
of your most powerful kinsmen, and that they would 
prefer to see the empire ruined rather than submit 
to this public insult and disgrace ? I implore you, 
therefore, to abandon your purpose." 

"What!" exclaimed the regent, in surprise and 
wrath. *' Since when does a woman presume to speak 
about affairs of state ! What madness is this ? Think 
you that I who take advice from no man, will be in- 
fluenced by a woman's foolish notions.^ I forbid you 
to speak to me again, nor shall I ever honor you with 
another visit." 

The regent rose to go; but his wife, detaining him 
by the sleeve, and for a moment casting aside her 
accustomed submission to her husband's will, protested : 

" Reflect, O my lord and master ! Deign to remem- 
ber that naught but anxiety for your welfare causes me 
to make this request. If you carry out your plan, 
rebellion will soon destroy your house. May I not 
live to see that day ! " 

" No more of this ! " exclaimed the regent, his anger 
now aroused to the highest pitch. His wife saw that 
nothing could move him from the resolution he had 
taken ; so, seizing a moment when he stood facing 
her, she plunged her dagger twice into his breast. 
Her hand was steady^ and the regent fell dead at 
his wife's feet. 



140 

She knelt by his side, and implored him to forgive 
her for having employed the only means within her 
power to secure the regency to the house of lyeyasu, 
of which, since her marriage, she was an insignificant 
member. " Do not think, my lord and master, that 
I care to live, now that I have slain you. I have raised 
my hand against you and know the punishment." 
She bared her breast, and stabbed herself with the 
dagger, still red with her husband's blood. 

The prime minister had received the letter, and 
hurried to the palace. But a great deal of time was 
consumed before a high official could leave the house. 
First, the norimono must be prepared, and the bearers 
called together. The bodyguard must assemble and 
be ready to surround the master's conveyance. And 
finally the heralds, loudly shouting : " Down on your 
knees ! Hita ni iru ! " (shta nee-eeru), must have a 
fair start, so that common passers-by may show proper 
reverence to their lord. 

Thus it happened that when the regent's palace was 
finally reached, and the minister was conducted to the 
apartments of the regent's wife, he found the two 
corpses, life being wholly extinct. After gazing upon 
the sight before him, the minister exclaimed : " Japan 
is saved, and by a woman ! But for her daring act, 
to-morrow's sun would have witnessed riot and rebellion 
and the downfall of an illustrious race ! " 

In her letter to the minister the woman, knowing 
that she was facing death, had calmly given instruc- 
tions as to the measures to be taken if anything should 
happen to the regent. The prime minister, full of 



I 



141 

admiration for the dead woman's courage and devo 
tion, obeyed her orders, and the legal heir was pro. 
claimed regent. The prime minister received a.B amplf 




Down on your knees! " 



reward, and the disappointed candidate was raised to 
the rank of daimio, and obtained a grant of land. 
Japanese writers express great admiration for the 
heroic conduct of this regent's wife. 



142 

In the laws made by lyeyasu, Japanese women did 
not have many privileges. A great many girls were 
taught to read and write, but it was only that they 
might be the more impressed with the one all-absorbing 
duty of women, — obedience. To render, when un- 
married, blind, immediate obedience to parents, or, if 
these were dead, to the head of the family ; to enter 
into marriage without being at all consulted, and after 
marriage to transfer this obedience to husband and 
family, — this was the fate of a Japanese girl. When 
Mutsuhito (who became emperor in 1867) assumed 
the government, many changes were made, and it 
seemed for some time as if Japan would adopt our 
customs. But, so far as women are concerned, the 
Japanese have returned to their old modes of thinking, 
and they are now of the opinion that their treatment 
of a woman is the best. 



THE FORTY-SEVEN RONIN 

I MUST now tell you a story of which the Japanese 
are very fond. Boys and girls never weary of read- 
ing it, and whenever it is announced that this play is 
to be acted in a theater, the house is sure to be filled. 
Every foreigner coming to Japan hears about it, and 
his guide or interpreter is always anxious to show him 
the mean-looking burying ground where the heroes of 
this story are laid to rest. 

But to you and to me this tale is of importance 
chiefly because it gives a fair idea of the character of 
a samurai, and shows why the people of Japan place 
so much trust in the members of that class. 

A certain regent was expecting a visit from his 
brother, who was on his way to open a new shrine to 
the war god, and two daimio were appointed to receive 
the visitor, and to see that he was entertained accord- 
ing to his rank. Treason excepted, there is no greater 
crime than to be ignorant of the proper ceremonies due 
a visitor, and in order that no mistake might be made, 
an officer of the court was appointed to instruct the 
two daimio. Of course, both were anxious to learn, 
but the court officer being avaricious, the chief secre- 
tary of one of the daimio bribed him to take more pains 

143 



144 

with his master. This the court officer did, and he 
frequently made insulting remarks to his second pupil, 
while complimenting the first upon his natural aptitude, 
and flattering him in other ways. 

At first the offended daimio thought that it was 
really to correct his awkwardness that these remarks 
were made. But when every successive day brought 




Daimio quarter, Tokyo 

new insults and hidden taunts, he began to suspect that 
they were intentional, and he decided to punish the 
offender. He communicated this intention to his chief 
secretary, who perceived at once what was amiss. Beg- 
ging his master to have patience for a few days, he 
hastily collected as much gold as he could, and in the 
evening paid a visit to the instructor. He began with 



145 

praising his entertainer's skill and knowledge of cere- 
monies, and deplored his own ignorance, declaring that 
it was due to this that he had omitted to offer him a 
slight present as a token of respect from his lord, but 
that he wished to repair this grave error by tendering 
his humble gift. The court noble made a gracious re- 
ply; his eyes glistened as he felt the weight of the 
gold, and the faithful secretary felt assured that his 
lord would thereafter have no cause to complain of 
rudeness. 

The daimio was wholly ignorant of the step taken by 
his secretary. All night he brooded over the insults 
that he had received, and they grew in number and 
importance as he recalled what had passed since he 
first entered the court noble's room. When he pre- 
pared to go to his daily ordeal, it was with the firm 
purpose that his instructor should die, if he dared act 
in his usual manner. 

When, however, the daimio entered the room as- 
signed to the exercises, the court noble bowed low 
before him, and protested that hitherto he had misap- 
prehended his lordship's faculty ; and with other soft 
words attempted to curry favor with a man who could 
afford such presents. The daimio took this unwonted 
politeness as a more refined insult, and, drawing his 
sword, rushed upon his tormentor. Others interfered, 
and prevented him from inflicting more than a slight 
wound. 

But drawing a sword within the palace was an offense 
scarcely less in degree than high treason, and the pun- 
ishment was severe. The daimio was condemned to 

STO. Oe lAtAH — lO - 



146 

eommit hara-kiri, and his castle and lands were taken 
by the regent. His samurai might take service under 
another clan or turn ronin ; that is, free lances. 

When their lord had committed suicide, his secretary 
called together the samurai of the clan, and gave to 
each one his share of the cash in the treasury. Some 
of the older clansmen, furious at the insult to their 




A castle moat 



master and the clan, proposed to follow their lord's 
example, because any resistance to the regent's decree 
would be hopeless. But the young samurai were in 
favor of resisting to death the surrender of the castle. 
Some, indeed, received their share, and quietly with- 
drew, without taking further part in the discussion. 
Only one, who had occupied the same rank as the 



147 

secretary, abused him for dividing the money evenly, 
stating that his superior rank entitled him to a greater 
amount. But he, too, disappeared, and shortly after- 
wards offered his services to the same court noble 
whose avarice had caused his master's death. 

When these samurai, more intent upon their own 
future than upon avenging the honor of the clan, had 
left, only forty-seven remained. The secretary, satis- 
fied that they were loyal, now divulged his plan. He 
advised them to surrender the castle quietly to the 
officers of the regent, and to disperse in such manner 
that they could be easily brought together. He ex- 
pressed the hope that their object in life would be to 
avenge in the blood of the court noble the insults and 
misfortunes of the clan; and that therefore they would 
take no service, but live on the money received from 
the treasury. All signed an agreement to this effect 
with their blood. The widow of the daimio moved to 
Yedo, trustmg the management of her affairs to the 
devoted secretary. 

This faithful samurai took his wife and family to a 
village near Kyoto, where he rented a small cottage. 
He knew that his loyalty to his master was known, 
and that the court noble would take sufficient pre- 
cautions to insure his safety, so long as he feared the 
vengeance of the clan. Already the court noble had 
doubled the number of his samurai, and much as he 
loved money, he did not hesitate to pay liberally 
for spies to keep him informed of the doings of such 
members of the hostile clan as he feared most. He was 
confirmed in his opinion that a plot existed, because no 



143 

resistance had been offered when the regent's officers 
appeared to take possession of the castle ; and it was 
for the purpose of counterscheming that he had en- 
gaged the former councilor of the dead daimio. 

The secretary now set about lulling his enemy into 
security, and while in secret he remained a good hus- 
band and father, he began to visit tea houses and to 
lead, apparently, a very frivolous life. His best friends 




Sifting tea leaves 

thought his mind had been unsettled by the misfor- 
tunes that had befallen his clan. 

Of course, the spies employed by the guilty court 
noble kept their master informed of the conduct of 
the man suspected by him, and as month after month 
passed by, he began to think that, after all, his expen- 
sive precautions might be unnecessary. But the sec- 
retary's character was well known by his former friend 



149 

and fellow-clansman, who proposed to his new master 
to let him proceed with one of his confidential samurai 
to the village inhabited by his enemy, and to find out 
if this conduct did not conceal a deep-laid scheme of 
revenge. 

The court noble assented to this plan, and the two 
men arrived in the village. It did not take them long 
to discover the name and location of the tea house 
where the secretary was wont to spend much of his 
time. They decided upon surprising him there. Near 
the place, they heard shouts of laughter from the wait- 
resses, and when they entered the tea house, they saw 
the secretary blindfolded, playing a game of blindman's 
buff with the girls. The two spies asked for a room ; 
they were informed that they could have one on the 
next floor, but that the ground floor had been engaged 
by the secretary. They ordered some sake, and settled 
down to watch. 

Presently they saw four men approaching and recog- 
nized three of them as free lances, former samurai of 
the proscribed clan. The fourth man was a common 
soldier, who wished to be admitted into the band of 
avengers. They had entered the inn, when the blind- 
folded secretary, trying to catch the girls, fell against 
one of his fellow-clansmen: "You are caught!" cried 
the secretary, "and now as forfeit you shall drink a 
cup of sake ! " 

The free lance shook him off. " What do you mean 
by acting in this way .? " he said. " I am your former 
clansman, and here are two of our friends. I must 
speak with you." 



ISO 

** What about ? " asked the secretary, in an indiffer- 
ent tone; then, turning to the waitresses, ne added: 
" I don't think I want to play any more." 

"We want to know when you propose going to 
Yedo ! " said the spokesman of the four. 

" Yedo! " repeated the secretary. "Yedo ! Oh, that's 
a long way off ! What are you talking about ?" 

The ronin were furious. They would have killed 
their former leader, had not the" soldier interfered. But 
the man was really anxious to join the conspirators, and 
modestly made his request. The secretary answered": 
" What is the use of revenge ? If we succeed, we shall 
die ; and if we fail, we must die also. What is the good 
of it all ? What is the use of taking medicine, when 
one is going to be beheaded the next day } " 

Still the soldier repeated his request; but the sec- 
retary, stretching himself upon the mats, yawned, 
turned round, and soon appeared to be fast asleep. 
The samurai left in despair. 



THE FORTY-SEVEN RONIN {Continued) 

THE spies were watching. They had not been able 
to discover any plot, although they had over- 
heard every word spoken in the rooms below. The 
night passed, and dawn was commencing, when they 
fancied they heard cautious footsteps ; a door was 
opened, some one entered, and a few words passed in a 
whisper. Then the footsteps were again audible, but 
soon grew fainter, and silence once more prevailed. 

It was the secretary's son who had aroused their 
attention, the young man having come to seek his 
father. When he saw that they were alone, he cau- 
tiously took out a letter. ** It is from our lord's widow," 
he said. "The court noble is going to leave Yedo. 
If we do not kill him now, the opportunity may be lost 
forever." • 

"Go back," whispered the secretary, "and when it 
is dark, send me a covered litter." 

The secretary lay down, but did not sleep. He 
thought long and deeply, and when daylight appeared, 
he arose and took the letter. At this moment his former 
friend, the spy, entered the room, and the secretary 
quickly hid the letter in his breast, not, however, with- 
out having been observed. Both watched each other 
intently, while professing to be glad to meet again. 

»5« 



152 

" What good wind brings you here ? " cried the sec- 
retary. " It seems an age since we parted, and our 
foreheads are not any the smoother for the lapse of 
time. This is a good occasion to drive wrinkles 
away ! '* 

" Why, Sir Secretary," the spy replied. " Is this the 
way you set about to avenge our lord ? '* 

" Avenge ! avenge ! what nonsense is this } " 

Both called for sake and breakfast. The traitor, 
when he saw the secretary eat fish, stood aghast. He 
believed that the spirit of his unavenged lord might 
have wandered into an animal, and took care to partake 
only of vegetable food. The secretary readily under- 
stood what was passing in his mind, and to confirm the 
impression he had made, said with feigned contempt : — 

"Who has heard that our lord has turned into a 
fish } Bah ! A chicken would be even better eating. 
Let me order one ! " and he went out to see about it. 
This act may be considered the most heroic of all those 
performed by this loyal samurai. It filled him with 
loathing, for he was as superstitious as his opponent. 
But he wanted to convince the spy of his own worth- 
lessness, and chose the most efficacious means. 

When the secretary had left the room, the spy's com- 
rade entered. They agreed that nothing was to be 
feared from a man so utterly ruined in principle, as 
was the secretary, and having finished their mission, 
they decided to depart. 

The spies entered their curtained litter, but the secre- 
tary's former friend passed out on the other side, and 
hid under the floor of the porch, whispering to his com- 



153 

panion, " I am not yet wholly satisfied. Go on your 
way. I mean to discover what was in that letter." 

When he saw the litter depart, the secretary came 
out on the porch, and proceeded to open the letter his 
son had brought. It evidently contained matters of 




Strolling- players 

importance, for the reader was plunged in deep thought 
as he continued to unfold it. It was so long that part 
of it reached down to the ground, and the spy succeeded 
in drawing it through the cracks in the floor. What he 
read confirmed his suspicion. He was now convinced 
that a conspiracy . existed, and that the secretary was 



154 

the leader. The question was: how could he obtain 
proof that would convince his employer; this was all 
the more necessary since his fellow-spy was satisfied 
that there was no conspiracy. He decided to tear off 
part of the letter. 

Now it happened that one of the waitresses had 
come out on the upper porch to listen to some strolling 
players. Seeing the secretary's letter, and curious to 
know what it might contain, she seized her metal hand 
mirror, to obtain a reflection. But the mirror fell, and 
the secretary saw her. He called out to her, "Come 
down, my girl. I have taken a fancy to you and shall 
purchase your release from this place." 

The girl, pleased at leaving this service, was coming 
down, when the soldier who had applied for admission 
among the conspirators reappeared. He was the girl's 
brother. He had heard the secretary's offer, and while 
the latter entered the tea house to pay his bill, the soldier 
asked his sister what it all meant. She answered that 
she had read part of the letter, and told him the contents. 
" Woman's curiosity ! " he exclaimed. " The secretary 
will kill you to make sure of your silence." " Let him 
do so ! " she answered. " If my death will assist him, 
he is welcome to take my life." The secretary, who 
had missed part of his letter, now returned. He over- 
heard what was said, and told the soldier that no harm 
would befall his sister, but that he wished to keep her 
safe until the affair was over. 

A search was at once begun for the culprit who had 
torn off part of the letter; and the spy was found and 
dragged from his hiding place. With the assistance 



155 

of the soldier, he was bound and gagged, taken to the 
river, and drowned. His death reheved the secretary 
of all immediate anxiety. 

What were the contents of the letter that had caused 
all this trouble ? The daimio's widow, who had kept 
herself informed of all the court noble's actions, wrote 
that her enemy had dismissed most of the guards he 
had hired, as he was about to leave Yedo. With the 
small number of samurai at present in his yashiki 
(yash-kee), or residence, it would be comparatively easy 
to finish the affair. She urged immediate action. 

In a city, not far from Kyoto, lived a merchant who 
had been agent to the clan ; that is, he had sold the rice 
paid as taxes, and purchased whatever was necessary. 
This man shared the feelings of the loyal samurai at 
the misfortunes of the clan, and freely offered his 
means to help the conspiracy, since he, as a simple 
citizen, could not devote his life to the cause. His 
offer was accepted. 

The secretary designed a model after which forty- 
seven sets of armor were made, so that the conspira- 
tors could recognize each other in a night attack. The 
swords and other weapons were stored with the mer- 
chant, and so that no gossip might betray what was 
passing in his house, his wife was sent, for the time 
being, to her father's home. The merchant agreed to 
have two well-equipped junks ready to carry the band 
to Yedo, when the time for the final act should arrive. 

Now before the unfortunate episode that ended in 
the suicide of the daimio and the dissolution of the clan, 
the secretary's son had been betrothed to the daughter 



156 

of the man who with his timely presents had bought 
the court noble's good will. This man and his family 
had heard of their old friend's sad downfall, and for 
some time the matter of the marriage had been allowed 
to drop. But father and daughter had too great a liking 
for the secretary's son to abandon the project ; so, to 
please his friend, the father had procured a plan of the 
court noble's house and grounds. He now sent his 
wife and daughter to the secretary's home, he himself 
following at a short distance. 

The two ladies arrived and were hospitably received 
by the secretary's wife ; but when they mentioned that 
they had come to confer about the marriage, the hostess 
grew cold and haughty. '*Why did your husband 
first bribe that wretched court noble," she said ; " why 
did he interfere when my lord was going to kill him ? 
Bring me the head of your husband, and then I may 
listen to your proposal." 

Meanwhile her husband, disguised as a beggar, had 
arrived and overheard this cruel demand. He had 
expected a refusal, but this undeserved hatred made 
him lose his temper. " Here is my head; take it!" he 
said, entering and throwing off his disguise. ** I have 
heard that your husband is not only a ronin, but also a 
tramp and a madman, and should not be surprised if 
the son is like the father. Let them take my head if 
they can." 

The wife of the secretary was almost beside herself 
at this insult. Seizing a spear from a rack, she made a 
thrust at him with all her strength, but the samurai 
caught the weapon and took it from her. To prevent 



157 

the furious woman from doing mischief, he brought her 
to the ground and held her down. Just at this moment 
the door opened, and the secretary entered with his son. 
The young man, thinking his mother in danger, without 
waiting for an explanation, picked up the spear, and ran 
the visitor through the body. 

Every one was aghast at the turn of affairs. But the 
visitor, who felt that the wound was mortal, recollected 
the purpose of his visit, and gathering all his strength, 
explained his object. " Let my desire be granted," he 
concluded, "and I shall die happy. Surely you will not 
make my journey vain." 

In reply the secretary opened the sliding doors into 
the garden. There, playing the madman, he had made 
two tombs of snow. He pointed toward these, and the 
visitor understood that they were for father and son, 
who were to die before the snow could melt. His wife 
then said : — 

" You understand now why I demanded your hus- 
band's head. It was not to insult you ; but the court 
noble must die, and my husband and son will be com- 
pelled to commit suicide. Why should my son marry 
on the brink of death ? '* 

"And yet I insist," replied the dying visitor. " Take 
this paper; it contains a list of the gifts that my 
daughter will bring to her husband." 

He produced the paper and gave it to the son, whc 
opened it listlessly. But no sooner had he cast his 
eyes over it, than his face grew animated ; and after 
examining it closely, he cried : " This is no list of gifts, 
but the greatest of boons. It is the plan of the court 



158 

noble's residence, with walls, gates, barracks, garden, 
complete ! " And he passed it to his father. 

"Thanks, my old friend," said the secretary. "This 
is, indeed, the best gift we could receive, since it re- 
moves the last difficulty. Nothing can now prevent the 
punishment of our enemy." 

" Show me the plan ! " gasped the visitor. " See ! 
here is the water gate, and here the main gate. Force 




A Japanese funeral 

an entrance at these two points. You will have no diffi- 
culty in making your way to the private apartments, 
while at the same time you can prevent escape or rescue. 
And now, before I die, let the marriage take place." 

" Very well," replied the secretary. " But I must go 
at once to arrange for boats, and to collect our men." 
So, taking a dignified leave of his wife, and bidding 
farewell to his visitors^ he told his son to join him the 



159 

next day, and left, after offering a brief prayer to 
Buddha for his friend. 

With wife and daughter kneehng beside him, the 
stanch old samurai was dying. He bore his pain with- 
out flinching, and when the lifeless body lay stretched 
on the floor, the features were in calm repose. The 
women began the prayers for the dead, while the wife 
of the secretary thought with pride of her own husband 
who was so earnestly bent upon preparing his own 
shroud. 

The secretary had hurried to the house of the agent, 
and found that everything was in readiness. The mer- 
chant's wife had not yet returned from her visit, and 
her father was highly displeased, and considered his 
daughter divorced. Still the merchant refused to allow 
her to return, fearing that an unguarded word might 
betray the cause to which he was devoted. 

The evening before the day set for the sailing of 
the conspirators had arrived. About midnight the 
agent was aroused by loud and repeated knocking at 
his door; and when he opened it, six samurai, armed 
and dressed as city guards, rushed in. He was at once 
seized and placed under arrest ; and the officer in com- 
mand charged him with conspiring against the life of 
the court noble. 

"We have evidence against you which cannot be 
denied," said the officer. "We have seized this box 
which came from your house. Confess at once, and 
give the names of the other conspirators, or we will 
put you to torture." 

The box was, indeed, full of weapons and chain 



i6o 

armor, and had been sent that day on board the ship 
that was to carry the secretary and his men to Yedo. 
''Well," thought the poor agent, "all is lost, though 
through no fault of mine. Yet they shall not discover 
anything from me. I can die but once ; and I will die 
in an honorable cause." With a sudden effort he threw 
off his guards, and putting his knees upon the box, 
dared them do their worst. 

" Fool ! " said the officer. "What good would it do 
us to kill you ? But we shall find the means to loosen 
your tongue." At a signal to one of his men, the agent's 
little one-year-old son was seized and handed to the 
officer, who pretended to prepare to cut the child's 
throat. Whatever may have been his feelings, the 
agent gave no sign of submission. 

" Now," said the officer sternly, " we know that this 
box contains armor and weapons for the secretary and 
his band of conspirators, and that it came from your 
house. Confess at once, or first this child shall die and 
then you shall follow him." 

"All I can tell you," replied the agent, "is that I 
deal in arms as well as in other things. Is that a crime 
for which an honest man can be put to death ? If it is, 
you must begin with me, and now." So saying, he made 
a rush for the officers. 

" Stop ! " thundered the secretary, throwing off his 
disguise. He now explained that some of the con- 
spirators had expressed fear that the agent, who knew 
everything connected with the expedition, might betray 
them at the eleventh hour; and their leader, to make 
sure, had resorted to this disguise to put the agent to 



i6i 

the test. He, as well as all the ronin, apologized for 
their distrust and openly expressed their admiration for 
the courage and loyalty of the agent. The secretary 
willingly accepted an invitation to partake of refresh- 
ments, and with two of his men remained, while the 
others returned on board. 

The agent's wife, urged by her father to consider 
herself divorced, and to accept another husband whom 
he had chosen for her, had not been able to sleep that 
night ; and, anxious to see her husband and child, she 
had quietly left the house. Reaching her home while 
the agent was entertaining his guests, she induced the 
servant to admit her. Her husband, hearing her voice, 
left the room and commanded her to return to her 
father, but he could not explain why he wished her to 
do so. The merchant was aware that his father-in-law 
could compel his daughter to marry again, — because 
when a man sends his wife to her father to stay, it 
means that he divorces her. Hence although she 
obeyed his orders to leave the house, she would not 
go away from the door. 

The secretary and his two companions could not help 
overhearing what was passing, and they appreciated the 
agent's difficulty. The leader whispered some instruc- 
tions to them, and they left the house at the back, and 
passing to the front, met the wife as she came out of 
the door. They seized the frightened woman, un- 
fastened her hair, cut it off, and, laughing, ran away 
with it. 

They returned by the way they had come, while the 
wife's outcries brought the agent to the front door. He 

STO. OF lAPAN II 



l62 

bade the woman enter and laid his perplexities before 
his guests. The secretary handed him his wife's tresses, 
saying that there would be no danger now of any suitors, 
but that she had better enter a convent for a while, so 
that her hair might have time to grow. This was 
agreed upon, and the samurai then took their leave. 
" I wish," said the secretary in parting, "that you were 
a samurai ; you would then be able to join us, and I am 
sure not one would be braver. But you shall hear 
from us long before your wife's hair has grown, so your 
separation need not be long." 

The two junks with the conspirators on board set 
sail, and in due time arrived in Yedo. 



THE FORTY-SEVEN RONIN {Concluded) 

ON a narrow strip of land extending into the bay, 
with yashiki residences of other nobles on both 
sides, was the house of the court noble for whose mur- 
der such deep plans had been laid. A dark night had 
been set apart for the attack, which was to be made 
according to the directions of the man who had furnished 
the plan of the grounds. 

The appointed time arrived; it was dark and the 
ground was white with snow. The son, in command of 
half the band, was to scale the wall near the front gate, 
while the secretary, with the other half, would enter by 
the water gate. The party at the front gate were in 
position and listened impatiently for the signal that 
the water gate had been forced. After waiting for a 
long time, two of them cautiously scaled the wall and 
dropped down on the other side. They heard the 
watchman's rattle, as he was making his rounds, and 
when he passed near the spot where they lay concealed, 
they sprang upon him, gagged and secured him. They 
forced him to continue his rounds, and to rattle at stated 
intervals, that nothing unusual might arouse suspicion. 
At last the signal was heard. Dark forms rushed to 
the front gate, opened it, and admitted the son with his 

163 



i64 

men, shouting the battle cry agreed upon. The guards 
and servants, running hither and thither without order 
or supervision, were cut down by the sharp swords of 
the avengers. Now they approached the house. In a 
few minutes the tightly closed shutters were unfastened, 
and the victorious samurai searched the rooms for their 
intended victim. 

Seated on a stool in the garden, the secretary di- 
rected the movements of his men. But the noise had 
aroused the inmates of the adjacent residences, and 
men bearing lanterns and torches appeared upon the 
neighboring roofs, their bearers inquiring into the cause 
of this disturbance. The secretary with all politeness 
informed them of the feud against the court noble, 
adding that there was no danger of fire, so that their 
residences would not be damaged. His object was 
vengeance only ; but if they were inclined to make their 
neighbor's cause their own, he was ready to receive 
them. Satisfied with this explanation, and fully sym- 
pathizing with the cause of the disturbers, the unin- 
vited spectators withdrew. 

The avenging party was now in possession of the 
place, but its owner, the object of their vengeance, 
was not to be found. It looked, indeed, as if he had 
effected his escape, and the secretary, after detailing 
men to guard the gates, commenced a systematic 
search. The residence was ransacked in every nook 
and corner; but neither there nor in the grounds could 
be found any trace of the fugitive, In searching the 
shed used for storing charcoal, a person was foiind 
hiding, and being dragged out, was recognized as the 



i65 

missing noble. He was led to the secretary, who, 
bowing in recognition of the captive's rank, briefly 
reminded him of the misfortunes he had caused the 
clan and its lord, and requested him to commit hara- 
kiri that the soul of the dead daimio might be 
appeased by having the noble's head placed upon his 
tomb. 

" So be it," was the reply ; " my head shall be at your 
disposal." Then he drew his dagger as if to use it 
upon himself. But, suddenly rising to his feet, he 
struck furiously at the secretary. The latter, however, 
was on his guard and caught his now desperate foe 
by the wrist. After a brief struggle, the noble lay 
writhing on the ground. "Do with him as you please!" 
exclaimed the secretary ; and the next instant the 
swords of the samurai were buried in the body of 
their enemy. 

"O happy hour!" one cried, as he withdrew his 
sword ; '* O blessed event ! For this we have left par- 
ents, wives, and children, and lived as homeless out- 
casts. For this we have refused to take honorable 
service, that we might be free to wreak vengeance 
upon our destroyer. Could we live three thousand 
years, never again might we hope to meet with such 
good fortune ! " 

Then the head was cut off, washed, and reverently 
set upon a temporary altar where the dead daimio' s 
emblem had been placed by the secretary. The samu- 
rai then burned incense, and called upon the soul of 
their lord to approve of the act to which they had 
devoted their lives. It was now broad daylight, and the 



i66 



city was ringing with their deed. They formed in pro* 
cession, and, passing before the residence of a high 
noble, they were invited to enter, and partake of some 




i 



Japanese wrestlers 

refreshments. They did so, and were highly applauded 
for their loyalty. Then proceeding to their lord's tomb, 
they placed their enemy's head upon it, and committed 
hara-kiri to escape punishment by the regent. 



i6y 

There is no story told in Japanese books that can 
give a better idea of the spirit animating a samurai. 
It is founded upon facts, and explains many circum- 
stances that are almost inconceivable to us. The rule 
that without progress, persons as well as nations must 
decay and perish, was defied by Japan. For more than 
two hundred and fifty years that country was kept sta- 
tionary. Such a condition would have produced retro- 
gression anywhere else, but it was this spirit of the 
samurai that saved the country. This sturdy, proud, 
self-reliant spirit, suffering no superiority, acknowledg- 
ing no master, impatient of restraint, was stirred to 
the utmost when, notwithstanding undeniable valor, 
the samurai suffered defeat from strangers, — inferiors 
in their opinion, since they were not samurai, nor even 
Japanese. 

Dissembling their real feelings as did the secretary 
in the story, they set about learning the secret of these 
strangers' strength. They began to study our arts and 
methods, with that set purpose which commands success. 
They introduced our habits first indiscriminately, to 
discard after closer acquaintance such as might prove 
harmful to Japan. Self-interest was never considered. 
When wealth was requisite for their purpose, they would 
have such wealth, not as an aim in itself, but as an 
incident to promote their schemes. They have trans- 
ferred their loyalty from clan to country, and from 
hollyhock or gentian to the imperial chrysanthemum. 
What must be the future of a country, guided by such 
a spirit? 



VARIOUS ATTEMPTS TO TRADE WITH 
JAPAN 

WHEN the Hollanders received permission to re- 
main in Japan for the purpose of trading, the 
English were granted the same privilege ; but as they 
found no profit in it, they at length withdrew. When 
Charles II. was king, an effort was made to return, but 
when the Japanese heard that the king was married 
to a Portuguese princess, they haughtily refused their 
consent. 

Years passed by, and Japan was left undisturbed. If 
a ship in distress came to their coast, the Japanese 
would relieve the wents of the crew, and dismiss them. 
They acted, indeed, in a very humane and kind manner, 
so long as they were satisfied that it was accident and 
not purpose, which had led the strangers to their shores. 
The government, however, was determined to carry 
out the policy of lyeyasu and to keep the country in 
seclusion as long as possible. 

The first ship to break through this barrier was the 
Eliza, Captain Stewart, of New York, near the end of 
the eighteenth century. Holland was at war with Eng- 
land, and, to avoid capture by British cruisers, engaged 
neutral vessels to carry merchandise. The Eliza^ 

?68 



i69 

bearing the Dutch flag, arrived at Nagasaki, and great 
was the consternation of the officials when they found 
that no one of these supposed Hollanders understood 
Dutch. It took some time to make the governor under- 
stand that these seamen were not English, although they 
spoke that language. But even when he did realize the 
difference between an American and an Englishman, it 
was with much hesitation that he consented to consider 
the Americans even as carriers. But at last consent 
was given, since the war rendered this substitution un- 
avoidable. 

The Eliza returned the next year, again engaged by 
the Dutch. When she was loaded with camphor and 
copper, she set sail in the evening, but struck upon a 
rock, filled, and sank. The crew succeeded in getting 
off in the boats and safely reached the shore, and the 
question now arose as to how to raise the ship and her 
valuable cargo. 

At first it was decided to employ Japanese divers to 
bring up the copper ; but the camphor had melted, and 
the gases caused the death of two men. Other attempts 
to raise the ship followed, but all proved fruitless. 
When all were at a loss what to do, a fisherman came 
forward and offered to raise the ship if his expenses 
were paid. At first he was laughed at ; but when the 
Americans saw his confidence, they agreed to let him try. 

He began his work by fastening to both sides of 
the vessel fifteen boats, connecting them by means 
of props and stays. When there happened to be un- 
usually high water, he came himself in a junk which 
he fastened in the same manner to the stern of the 



I/O 

sunken vessel. When the water was at the highest 
point, sail was set on all the boats. The heavily loaded 
vessel was lifted, she cleared the rocks, and was towed 
to a spot on the shore where she could easily be un^ 
loaded and repaired. The man's expenses were paid, 
and he was handsomely rewarded, while a neighboring 
daimio gave him the right to wear two swords, which 
was similar to knighting him. 

It seems that, while this accident kept Captain Stew- 
art at Nagasaki, he conceived the idea of entering into 
commercial relations with the Japanese, independent of 
the Dutch. When his vessel had been repaired and 
her cargo was again on board, he sailed, but encoun- 
tered a storm which dismantled him, and once more 
he returned to Nagasaki. At last he departed, and 
returned the following year, but in another vessel. He 
stated that the Eliza had been wrecked, so that he had 
not reached Batavia; that he had lost the cargo, but 
that a friend in Manilla had furnished him with the 
means to purchase and load the brig, and that he had 
come to pay his bill for repairs of the Eliza^ for which 
purpose he offered his cargo. for sale. 

The general agent of the Dutch listened quietly to 
this story, and turned the goods in the usual manner 
over to the Japanese. Now Captain Stewart had stated 
that nothing had been saved of the cargo of the Eliza, 
and when several articles that had been shipped on her 
had been identified among the cargo of the brig, Captain 
Stewart was arrested and sent to Batavia to be tried for 
the loss of the Eliza s cargo. 

While the investigation was going on, the prisoner 



i 



made his escape, but in 1803 he entered Nagasaki Bay 
in another vessel and under the American flag, and 
boldly requested permission to trade and to supply him- 
self with fresh water and oil. The first request was at 
once denied, but he was given what he asked for with- 
out charge, and was then compelled to leave. The 
captain after this probably abandoned his purpose ; at 
all events, he was not heard of again in Japanese 
waters. 

Another attempt to open friendly intercourse with 
Japan was made by Russia. A Japanese vessel had 
been wrecked off the coast of Siberia, and Empress 
Catherine II. sent home the members of the crew who 
had been saved. Laxman, captain of the Catherine, 
which had been chartered for this purpose, entered 
Hakodate (hah-koh-dah-tay), on the island of Hokkaido 
(huh-kl-doh), and told the authorities the object of his 
visit, at the same time requesting that arrangements 
might be made to establish trade. He was courteously 
received, but was warned in writing : — 

1. That the Japanese law condemned to imprison- 
ment for life every foreigner landing in any part of the 
empire, except Nagasaki. The government would, 
however, overlook the offense (on account of his igno- 
rance of these laws, and because of the Russians' kind- 
ness to Japanese subjects), on condition that Laxman 
would promise that he and his countrymen would leave 
immediately, and would never again approach any part 
of the coast except the port of Nagasaki. 

2. That the Japanese government thanked the Rus- 
sians for the care taken of its subjects ; but that they 



1/2 

might leave them or take them back as they pleased, 
because the government considered all men to belong 
to the country where they were cast by their destiny 
and where their lives had been protected. Laxman and 
his crew had been treated with the greatest civility. 
Before his departure, he was provided, without charge 
with everything he wanted, and finally dismissed with 
presents. 

The troubles arising from the French Revolution 
caused a cessation of further efforts. But in 1803, 
Emperor Alexander sent his chamberlain Resanoff as 
ambassador to the emperor of Japan. Resanoff was 
not the man to engage in the difficult task before 
him. First he was insolent and overbearing, and then 
submitted tamely when the Japanese confined him 
in a narrow inclosure, resembling a bamboo cage, on 
the beach at Nagasaki. After some time he was in- 
formed that the Japanese government had no desire 
that Russian ships should enter any port of Japan, and 
was dismissed unceremoniously. Resanoff returned to 
Kamchatka, and applied to the captains of two small 
armed vessels, to procure him satisfaction. Had he 
sought this at Nagasaki, he might have impressed the 
Japanese ; but instead of this he attacked some of 
the Kurile (koo-reel) Islands, killed and captured the 
defenseless inhabitants, and burned their villages. 
Resanoff died on his way to St. Petersburg. 

The Russians had begun to colonize some of the 
northern Kurile Islands, and in 181 1 Captain Golownin 
(go-lof-neen) was dispatched in the Diana to make 
a survey of this group. Some of his crew were in dan- 



173 

ger of being captured when they landed on one of the 
islands, but Golownin explained that he had come only 
to take in wood and water; that the act of the two 
Russian captains had been one of piracy and that they 
had been punished by the government. This satisfied 
the Japanese officers, and the Russians received a letter 
to the commandant of another fortress on the same 
island, where there was more facility to procure what 
was needed. 



A RUSSIAN CAPTIVE 

GOLOWNIN, instead of going where directed, con- 
tinued his survey, and when he really did need 
water and other necessaries, he proceeded to one of 
the more southern islands of the same group, and 
communicated with the Japanese commandant. This 
officer pretended to be satisfied until Golownin deemed 
himself safe ; when, having landed without escort, he, 
his officers, and boat's crew were overpowered and 
taken prisoners. 

First the Russians were tightly bound with small 
cords; they were rendered so helpless that they had 
to be fed like infants, since they could not use their 
hands ; the cords by which their legs were fastened 
had only enough play to enable the men to walk. A 
soldier held the end of each man's cord, and in this 
manner they were driven overland, or piled together in 
boats when transportation by water was necessary. . 

They were well taken care of, so far as food and drink 
were concerned, and when they were too tired to walk, 
their guards willingly carried them. So too, when the 
people of the villages through which they passed 
offered refreshments, the prisoners were always allowed 
to partake, and it seemed to afford their guards pleas- 

174 



175 

ure, if they appeared to enjoy these gifts. At the 
same time the guards would not loosen the prisoners' 
cords, even though they cut into the flesh and caused 
intense suffering; but at night the wounds were care- 
fully dressed. At last the Russians received an expla- 
nation of the odd mixture of cruelty and kindness 
with which they were treated. It appeared that the 




Street in Hakodate 

guards had been charged to convey the prisoners 
alive to Hakodate, and were afraid that one of them 
might commit suicide from despair at being a prisoner. 
If this had happened, or if one of the Russians had 
effected his escape, there would have been no inquiry : 
the guard in charge would simply have been found 
guilty, condemned to death, and executed. The kind- 
ness shown to the prisoners was, therefore, genuine 



1/6 

good nature, while the apparently unnecessary severity 
was a precaution for the protection of the guards 
themselves. 

After a month, Hakodate was reached. The arrival 
of the Russians must have been expected, for both 
sides of the road were crowded with men, women, and 
children. All behaved in a well-bred manner. " I 
paid special attention," says Golownin, "to their expres- 
sions, and failed to observe an angry look, or a sign 
of hatred toward us, and there was not the least 
attempt to insult us by laughing or mockery." 

The Russians were taken to a long wooden building 
surrounded by bamboo palisades. There was a hall- 
way with wooden cages or cells on each side, about 
six feet square and provided with two small windows 
with iron gratings, admitting light and air ; the floor was 
covered with mats, and a wooden bench was all the 
furniture. Each prisoner was put into one of these 
cells. Through the night, watchmen made the rounds, 
rattling now and then to announce that they were on 
guard. In the morning the Russians received water 
with which to wash themselves, and a Japanese physi- 
cian came to inquire into the condition of their health. 

On the third day they were conducted, under a strong 
guard, to the house of the governor. Here tea and 
tobacco were offered them, and they were asked a 
number of questions, the answers being taken down in 
writing. 

" Has Russia changed her religion ? " was one of the 
unexpected questions. 

" Certainly not." 



1/7 

"Why do you wear your hair cut short and without 
powder, when Laxman, who was here a few years ago, 
wore a long pigtail and thick hair covered with flour ? " 

•* Fashions change, but they have nothing to do with 
religion." 

This answer the Japanese could not understand, but 
the interrogation continued. 

**Why did you carry off wood and rice, when you 
landed, without the consent of the owners ^ " 

"We left in exchange other articles, fully equal in 
value." 

" Does Russian law allow you to take anything with- 
out the owner's consent, if you leave other articles of 
equal value ? " 

" It does not. But if a man takes what is absolutely 
necessary for his existence, and substitutes full value, 
he cannot be considered guilty." 

"Ah, our laws are different. A man must sooner 
die of hunger than touch, without the consent of the 
owner, a single grain of rice which does not belong to 
him." 

When the Russians had been fifty days in Hako- 
date, they were taken to Matsumai (mah-tsoo-mi), where 
the governor of the island resided. Here they were 
again examined, but more minutely. There was a great 
improvement in their treatment, although they were 
still confined as before. The weather being extremely 
cold, they were well provided with warm clothing, and 
a physician visited them twice a day. If any one was 
ill, a second doctor would come to attend him. 
, At last the Russians were removed from their prison 

STO. OS JAPAN — 12 



178 

to a residence surrounded with strong palisades, and 
were permitted to walk through the town, accompanied 
by a guard. They now resolved to escape. After having 
burrowed under the palisades, one night in April, they 
crept out, one by one, and, favored by darkness, struck 
across the country toward the sea, directing their course 
to the north, and ascending hills covered with snow. 
Hiding by day, they, for eight nights, wandered through 
thickets or scrambled among rocks and precipices, at 
great risk to their necks or limbs. 

At length they reached a village on the shore and 
found two boats, but these were hauled up on the beach, 
and, weak and famishing as the Russians were, they 
could not launch them. A little farther on they saw a 
boat afloat, and near it a tent. One of the famishing 
sailors thrust his hand into the tent, but instead of 
finding something eatable, he grasped the head of a 
Japanese who was sleeping within. The fellow roared 
out, and the Russians, fearing that the noise would 
alarm the villagers, hastened back to the hills. 

On the next morning, when they were helpless from 
exhaustion, they found themselves surrounded by sol- 
diers, who came upon them very quietly, bound their 
arms behind their backs, and led them to a house, where 
they refreshed them with sake, boiled rice, radishes, and 
tea. The Russians had been regularly tracked, day by 
day. Golownin suspected that the old fear about suicide 
had prevented the Japanese from seizing them sooner. 
They were marched back to Matsumai, and safely 
lodged in the castle. The governor showed no anger 
at this escapade : he merely told Golownin that his plan 



179 

was ill contrived, and that if he had succeeded the gov- 
ernor himself and other Japanese would have answered 
for the escape with their lives. 

The Russians were soon sent from the castle to a 
new prison, and put into separate cages. But, at last, 
when the second year of their captivity was well ad- 
vanced, they were restored to" liberty, and sent off to 
their own country. 

At the time of his capture, the officers of Golownin's 
ship, the Diana, had attempted to get near enough in 
shore to be able to use the small cannon with which 
the ship was armed, but they were prevented by the 
shallow water. For three days they cruised near the 
place of the capture, and finally landed near a village, 
where they left some linen and other articles of which 
the captives might be in need. Then they returned as 
fast as possible to the seat of the Russian government 
on the Pacific coast. 

One of the captains of the Russian navy left at once 
for St. Petersburg to lay the case before the emperor. 
But at that time Russia was engaged in war with 
France, and it was some time before Emperor Alex- 
ander ordered the Diana to return to Japan. Captain 
Rikord was appointed to take command. When he 
sailed, he carried with him seven Japanese who had 
been shipwrecked on the coast, thinking that he might 
effect an exchange. But when he reached Japan, he 
found that he could not enter into communication with 
the shore, since the Japanese declined to take notice of 
him. At one place, indeed, they fired upon his vessel. 

Under these circumstances, Captain Rikord decided 



i8o 

to capture a Japanese vessel, but when he did so, the 
crew jumped overboard and escaped, and he gained 
nothing. Soon after this, he captured a large native 
junk, and although some of the men threw themselves 
overboard, the captain, a lady passenger, and several 
of the crew were captured. Most of the sailors were 
set free, and allowed to proceed with their vessel ; but 
as the season was too far advanced for further efforts, 
the Diana returned to Kamchatka with her prisoners. 
There they were well treated, and the captain passed 
most of his time in studying the Russian language. 

The Diana returned to the Japanese coast in the 
spring, but it was June before she reached the island 
of Hokkaido. No one would communicate with her; 
indeed, it seemed as if the coast had been deserted. 
Captain Rikord now called the Japanese captain and 
explained to him what he wished him to do. The 
Japanese stoutly declined to follow his instructions, add- 
ing that, if Rikord persisted, he would first kill the 
Russian and then himself. 

By his own desire, the Japanese captain was then 
put ashore, and made his way to the house of the 
governor. He took with him a statement signed by 
the Russian, governor of Kamchatka, that the outrage 
committed in the Kurile Islands had been severely 
condemned by the government This document he 
handed to the governor, stating that, from his own 
experience, the Russians had nothing but good feelings 
toward Japan. The Diana was thereupon allowed to 
come to the port of Hakodate, where Golownin and 
his men were permitted to rejoin her. 



ENGLISH ATTEMPTS TO TRADE WITH 
JAPAN 

THE attempt of the English, in the reign of Charles II., 
to renew friendly relations with Japan, was not re- 
peated. For more than a hundred years the Japanese 
were left undisturbed so far as England was concerned. 
At the end of the last century and the beginning of this, 
private merchants occasionally sent a ship to trade or 
barter, but, although these vessels were invariably sup- 
plied with whatever was needed, free of charge, com- 
munication with the shore was rendered impossible. 
The impressions left by such English vessels as suc- 
ceeded in getting into Nagasaki harbor were not favor- 
able to them. 

In October, 1808, the British irigdle. Phaeton, Captain 
Pellew, had been commissioned to cruise off the coast 
of Japan, to capture the annual Dutch traders. For 
Holland had been annexed to France, and was there- 
fore at war with England. For a month or more, 
Captain Pellew had been sailing over these seas without 
seeing a sign of any Dutch vessels. Thinking that they 
might be in the harbor of Nagasaki, he decided to look 
for himself. Flying Dutch colors, he approached that 
harbor, and as the usual Dutch vessel was expected at 

181 



l82 



that time, she was permitted to anchor, and the general 
agent of the Dutch, suspecting nothing, sent two of his 
clerks to the frigate. They did not return, and this 
excited suspicion. 

The Japanese governor decided at once to prepare 
for strong measures, but he found, to his dismay, that 
nearly all the soldiers of a strong fort in the harbor 
were absent without leave, and that the commandant 
was not to be found. A few hours later, the general 
agent received a brief note from one of the missing 
clerks, stating : " This ship has come from India. The 
captain's name is Pellew; he asks for water and pro- 
visions." 

The general agent was afraid to comply without the 
consent of the governor. At midnight he was visited 
by the governor's chief secretary, who told him that he 
had orders to rescue the two Hollanders. 

" How do you propose doing it .? " asked the agent. 

" Your countrymen have been seized by treachery," 
replied the secretary; " I shall therefore go alone, obtain 
admission on board by every demonstration of friend- 
ship, seek an interview with the captain, and on his 
refusal to deliver his prisoners, stab him first, and then 
myself." 

It was with difficulty that this officer was persuaded 
to abandon his desperate plan, and it was finally de- 
cided to detain the frigate until all the boats, junks, and 
troops of the neighboring territories could be collected, 
and then to attack. The night was spent in warlike 
preparations, which, says the agent, who has written 
several works on Japan, "gave evidence that the country 



i83 

had been at peace for a very long time." The next 
afternoon, one of the missing Hollanders was put 
ashore. He brought a note stating : " I have ordered 
my own boat to set the bearer on shore, to procure me 
water and provisions ; if he does not return with them 
before evening, I will sail in early to-morrow, and burn 
the Japanese and Chinese vessels in the harbor." 

The Japanese official at first would not allow the 
clerk to return to the ship, but finally consented, upon 
the agent's reminding him that it was the only way to 
recover the other man. He, therefore, went on board 
with the provisions, and shortly afterwards the two 
clerks were set at liberty. 

The governor now consulted with the agent con- 
cerning the execution of the law which obliged him 
to detain, till the decision of the head government 
was known, any foreign vessel which came too near, or 
committed any violent or illegal act on the coast. The 
agent told him plainly that he did not think the Japa- 
nese strong enough to detain the frigate ; but he 
advised him to try to occupy the captain's attention 
until a number of native ships, loaded with stones, 
could be sunk in the narrow passage through which 
the frigate must proceed to sea. The Japanese harbor 
master thought that this could be done, and received 
orders to make the necessary preparations. Another 
supply of fresh water was promised to the frigate to 
detain her while a favorable wind was blowing. 

The next morning the daimio of Omura arrived at 
the head of his samurai, and proposed to the governor 
to burn the frigate by attacking her with three hundred 



i84 

boats, filled with straw and reeds ; he himself offered to 
lead the attack. But while they were consulting, the 
frigate weighed anchor, and sailed out of the harbor. 

Were the governor and the officials of Nagasaki in 
any way responsible for this incident, or could they be 
blamed at all for the course they had taken .? Accord- 




Main street, Tokyo 



ing to our ideas they were absolutely innocent, but the 
Japanese law said otherwise. The rules and laws of 
the government had been broken, and those who had 
not prevented or punished this, must die. Within half 
an hour after the frigate's departure, the governor had 
redeemed himself from a severer fate by committing 
hara-kiri. The officers of the fortress, who had been 



i85 

guilty of neglect of duty, followed his example. These 
men were of the clan of Hizen, and their daimio, who 
was actually residing in Yedo at the time, was punished 
with one hundred days' imprisonment for the negligence 
of his samurai. Such was the law, and sufferers as well 
as others consented and approved. 

The next attempt by the English was made in 1813. 
Great Britain had seized the Dutch East Indies, and 
Sir Stamford Raffles had been appointed governor gen- 
eral of Java. He decided to capture the profitable 
Japanese trade for England, and did not expect any 
difficulties, because the Dutch at Nagasaki were igno- 
rant of the changes that had occurred during the 
past years. The seas were controlled b}'- English ves- 
sels, and several years had passed without the appear- 
ance of the usual Dutch trader, hence the general agent 
was very much pleased when two vessels, flying the 
Dutch flag, and showing the private signal, entered the 
harbor. 

As soon as they had anchored, a letter was sent 
ashore, announcing the arrival of a former general 
agent, who had come to replace the agent in charge. 
The latter, without any suspicion, sent an officer and 
a clerk on board. The clerk returned and reported that 
he could not quite understand what was going on, but 
that he feared everything was not right. He had, to be 
sure, recognized the former general agent, and also the 
Dutch captain of the ship, but the crew spoke English, 
and the new general agent had refused to deliver his 
credentials, except to the agent in person. That gentle- 
man thought naturally that the ship might be an Ameri- 



i86 

can vessel engaged by the Dutch, as had been the case 
before, and decided upon going aboard. 

There the former general agent handed him a letter, 
which, however, he declined to open until he was in his 
office. Both gentlemen thereupon went ashore to the 
office, and when the letter was opened, the bewildered 
agent, who for four years had heard nothing of the 
world beyond Nagasaki, read about the changes that 
had taken place. The letter informed him that the 
former general agent had been appointed his successor 
with the title of Commissary in Japan, and was signed 
" Raffles, Lieutenant Governor of Java, and its depend- 
encies." 

'' Raffles ! Who is Raffles ? " asked the puzzled agent. 

His former friend now explained that Java had been 
captured by the English ; that Holland no longer 
existed as an independent nation, but had become a 
part of the French empire, and that he, the former 
general agent, and an Englishman, Dr. Ainslie, had 
been appointed by' the British government as commis- 
sioners in Japan. 

The Dutch agent did not hesitate as soon as he was 
in possession of these facts. He refused absolutely to 
obey the orders conveyed in the letter, stating that they 
came from a colony in possession of the enemy ; that 
Japan was in no way a dependency of Java, nor was she 
at all affected by any capitulation into which the Dutch 
in Java might have entered with the English. 

The attempt was foolish in the extreme. The ships 
were unarmed, and if the agent had informed the gov- 
ernor, or suffered the secret to leak out, short shrift 



iS7 

would have been given to their English crews. For 
the affair of the Phaeton was still fresh in the memory 
of the Japanese, and they were anxious to obtain re- 
venge. The agent hated the English, who had caused 
such severe losses to his countrymen; but the old 
general agent was his friend and patron, and the Dutch 
agent agreed to keep his own counsel upon certain con- 
ditions benefiting his countrymen. These were agreed 
to. The cargoes of the two vessels were delivered in 
the usual manner ; the vessels were loaded with copper, 
and the English sailed away without having aroused 
the suspicions of the Japanese. 

The following year Lieutenant Governor Raffles made 
another attempt to wield influence over Japan, but it 
failed completely. In 1818, Captain Gordon of the 
British navy sailed up Yedo Bay and made a formal 
request to be allowed to return with a cargo, for the 
purpose of trading. This request was politely but 
firmly refused. The captain was treated with the 
greatest kindness and good will, provisions were offered 
him, and anything of which he might be in need ; but 
he was given to understand that only two nations, the 
Dutch and the Chinese, were permitted to trade with 
Japan, and only at Nagasaki. 

In the year 183 1, a Japanese junk, blown off the 
coast into the Pacific Ocean, after drifting about for a 
long time, went ashore near the mouth of the Columbia 
River. The castaways were kindly treated, and in 1835 
were taken to Macao, a Portuguese settlement in China, 
where they were cared for by the American and English 
residents. It was decided to seize this opportunity to 



i88 

open intercourse with Japan. An American merchant- 
man, the Morrison^ well equipped for the purpose, was 
engaged, and her arms and ammunition were left behind 
in token of her peaceable intentions. 

It was thought by the promoters of this enterprise that 
the return of shipwrecked fellow-countrymen would be 
appreciated. They did not know of the cruel Japanese 




In Yedo Bay 

law: "All Japanese who return from abroad, shall be 
put to death." With a medical missionary on board, the 
MojTison left Macao, and arrived without accident in 
Yedo Bay. After she had anchored, she was visited 
by officers from the shore, who carefully examined into 
her strength. When they discovered that she was 
wholly unarmed, they showed the greatest insolence 



i89 

and contempt, and the following morning opened fire 
upon her. She was compelled to weigh anchor in a 
hurry, and, leaving this bay, sailed westward, anchor- 
ing off Kagoshima (kah-goh'-shee-mah), in the island of 
Kiushiu. 

Here one of the passengers, Mr. C. W. King, a New 
York merchant, decided to open negotiations with the 
emperor (regent). He prepared a paper in which he 
said : — 

"The American vessels sail faster than those of 
other nations. If permitted to have intercourse with 
Japan, they will always communicate the latest intelli- 
gence. . . . Our countrymen have not yet visited your 
honorable country, but only know that, in old times, the 
merchants of all nations were admitted to your harbors. 
Afterwards, having transgressed the law, they were 
restricted or expelled. Now we, coming for the first 
time, and not having done wrong, request permission to 
carry on a friendly intercourse on the ancient footing." 

The natives of Kiushiu appeared well disposed and 
even friendly; but, after some time, striped canvas 
cloths were being stretched along the shore. The 
rescued Japanese told their American friends that this 
meant mischief; that cannon were being placed, and 
that firing would soon commence. The anchor was 
weighed, and when the vessel sailed, a battery opened 
upon her. The plan was therefore abandoned, and the 
Morrison returned to Macao. 

In 1845 Nagasaki was visited, first by the British 
frigate Samarang^ Captain Sir Edward Belcher, and 
la^r by Admiral Cecille (say-seel) in the French ship 



190 

CUopdtre (clay-oh-pahtr). Both were politely received, 
but secured no advantage beyond a liberal supply of 
provisions and water. Indeed, they were given to 
understand that these visits were not welcome; that 
Japan asked no favors, and desired none. But when a 
Japanese, in his private capacity, expressed an opinion, 
a thing not to be thought of unless he was sure to be 
out of earshot of any of his countrymen, he would 
declare that the people were in favor of opening their 
country to foreigners. It was indeed the government 
that insisted upon maintaining the seclusion as begun 
by lyeyasu, and strengthened and made more burden- 
some by his successors. The regents, or those who 
ruled in their names, were afraid that intercourse with 
foreigners would cause their downfall, — and they were 
right, as we shall soon see. 



1 



THE UNITED STATES SEEKS TRADE 
WITH JAPAN 

NEW BEDFORD, Massachusetts, had begun to 
send whaling vessels into the Pacific Ocean, and 
Japan was so conveniently situated to obtain provisions 
after the long passage over the Atlantic and Pacific, 
that the President decided to make an effort to enter 
into a treaty of friendship with that government. 
Accordingly President James K. Polk commissioned 
Commodore Biddle to go to Yedo with two ships, the 
ColumbuSy 2l line-of-battle ship, and the Vincennes^ a 
sloop of war, to deliver a letter to His Imperial Majesty 
of Japan. This letter was in substance as follows : — 

"I send you, by this letter, an envoy of my own 
appointment, an officer of high rank in his country, 
who is no missionary of religion. He goes by my 
command to bear to you my greeting and good wishes, 
and to promote friendship and commerce between the 
two countries. 

" You know that the United States of America now 
extend from sea to sea ; that the great countries of 
Oregon and California are parts of the United States ; 
and that from these countries, which are rich in gold 
and silver and precious stones, our steamers can reach 

191 



192 

the shores of your happy land in less than twenty 
days. 

" Many of our ships will now pass every year, and 
some, perhaps, every week, between California and 
China ; these ships must pass along the coasts of your 
empire; storms and winds may cause them to be 
wrecked on your shores, and we ask and expect from 
your friendship and your greatness, kindness for our 
men and protection for our property. We wish that 
our people may be permitted to trade with your people ; 
but we shall not authorize them to break any law of 
your empire. 

" Our object is friendly commercial intercourse, and 
nothing more. You may have productions which we 
should be glad to buy, and we have productions which 
might suit your people. 

" Your empire contains a great abundance of coal ; 
this is an article which our steamers, in going from 
California to China, must use. They would be glad 
that a harbor in your empire should be appointed to 
which coal might be brought, and where they might 
always be able to purchase it. 

" In many other respects commerce between your, 
empire and our country would be useful to both. Let 
us consider well what new interests may arise from 
these recent events, which have brought our two 
countries so near together, and what purpose of 
friendly amity and intercourse this ought to inspire 
in the hearts of those who govern both countries." 

The commodore arrived at the entrance of Yedo Bay 
in July, 1846. Before his vessels had fairly anchored, 



193 

they were surrounded by about four hundred guard 
boats, which, however, showed no sign of hostility, 
since the men, of whom each boat contained from five 
to twenty, were mostly unarmed. An inferior officer 
climbed up the side of the Vincennes^ and proceeded 
to place a stick with some Chinese symbol on it, at the 
bow, and a similar one at the stern. The captain con- 
strued this act to mean taking possession of his ship 
and therefore at once ordered the sticks removed, to 
which the Japanese offered no objection. 

The letter was now given to one of the officers, and 
an interpreter came aboard who spoke Dutch fluently. 
There was no attempt to communicate with the shore, 
but the officials who came on board gave no evidence of 
dislike for foreigners. Like all Japanese of the samurai 
class, they were studiously polite, and exceedingly anxious 
to obtain information. On the seventh day an answer 
came from Yedo. It was brief, but to the point : *' No 
trade can be allowed with any foreign nation, except 
Holland." What could Commodore Biddle do? He 
had no instructions to employ force, and therefore was 
compelled to return without having accomplished any- 
thing. 

But the government in Washington did not despair. 
A Japanese junk, on the way from Yedo to Osaka, was 
caught in a storm and blown out into the Pacific Ocean. 
The poor sailors did not know where they were, and 
for three weeks drifted at the mercy of wind and 
waves. At last one of those strange vessels, such as 
they had sometimes seen at Nagasaki, was sighted, 
and they made signals of distress. The vessel hove 

STO. OF JAPAN — \\ 



194 

to; the Japanese launched their boat, rowed to the 
ship, and were taken on board, where they were very 
kindly treated. This ship was bound for San Fran- 
cisco, and when she arrived, the United States officers 
were told of the passengers taken up in mid-ocean. 
They communicated with the government in Washing- 
ton, and received orders to take care of the Japanese 
until they could be sent back to their country. 

Among these sailors was a fourteen-year-old boy. 
He learned very quickly to speak English, and became 
a great pet of the naval officers at Mare Island, Cali- 
fornia. At last, when he knew our language, he found 
a friend in a gentleman of San Francisco, who had him 
educated, and took him to Baltimore and Washington. 
As the boy grew up, he attended Sunday school and 
became a Christian, and when he was old enough, he 
took out his naturalization papers; that is, he declared 
that thereafter he would obey the laws of the United 
States, and was made an American citizen. He after- 
wards returned to Japan, where he was very useful as 
an interpreter, and could explain American institutions 
and laws to the officers. 

In 1849 Commodore Geisinger sent the Preble^ under 
Commander Glynn, to Japan to demand the release of 
some American seamen who had been cast ashore from 
the wreck of the whaler Lagoda. When the Preble ap- 
proached Japan, she was warned to return, by a great 
display of batteries " in petticoats," as the sailors called 
them, because lines of striped canvas cloth, stretched 
one behind the other, were used to deaden the shot, 
as well as to conceal the gunners. When the Preble 



195 

paid no attention to these warlike demonstrations, but 
quietly continued on her course, a paper, attached to 
the end of a long bamboo stick, and containing some 
directions in English, was offered to the captain, who, 
however, declined to accept it, but sailed on. 

Then an interpreter came on board, and ordered the 
captain to anchor at a certain spot. But the captain 
showed him a chart, and pointed out the spot where 
he had decided to stop. Now some officers of inferior 
rank came on board to ask about the captain's busi- 
ness, but he refused to receive them. At last officers 
of a high rank came on board, and they were in- 
formed of the purpose of his visit. They said that 
they wanted time to be able to consult with the emperor 
(regent). But the commander of the Preble answered 
that he would give them just so many days, and no 
more. The Japanese understood the threat, and in a 
very short time the American sailors were sent aboard. 
The Japanese then offered to supply the ship with 
provisions and water, but as they refused payment, 
the American captain very properly declined to accept 
their offer. 



HOW PERRY SECURED A TREATY 

WHEN Commander James Glynn returned to 
Washington in 185 1, after his visit to Nagasaki 
in the Preble^ he began to try to interest the President 
to make another effort to open Japan, and offered his 
services. But when the matter was taken into con- 
sideration, it became clear that a few ships would 
not be able to accomplish anything peaceably, and 
that, to insure success, it was necessary to send an 
imposing fleet. When, finally, it was decided that 
the United States should act. Commodore Aulick was 
selected to go to the capital of the Tycoon, and to 
present a letter frt)m the President to "the emperor 
of Japan." 

Commodore Aulick sailed from Norfolk, Virginia, 
June 185 1, in the Susquehanna ^ and after stopping at 
the capital of Brazil, continued his voyage to China. 
Soon after he had arrived at Hong Kong, he received 
orders to return home, and Commodore Matthew G. 
Perry, brother of the hero who upheld the honor of the 
American flag on Lake Erie, was appointed to replace 
him. 

There had been, before this, some talk about Perry's 
undertaking this mission, and he had spent considerable 

196 



k 



19; 

time in reading all the books on Japan he could find. 
From what he had gleaned of the Japanese character, 
Perry felt confident that with a strong force under his 
command, he could awe the Japanese into making con- 
cessions, whereas a small fleet would probably be 
treated with contempt. He was promised twelve 
vessels with which to proceed to Yedo Bay, and there- 
upon began to make preparations. 

First he arranged to have ships laden with coal, dis- 
patched to the Cape of Good Hope and Mauritius 
(maw-rish'-i-us), that his steamers might obtain there 
a fresh supply of fuel. Next he began to collect speci- 
mens of American industries and inventions. A firm 
in Philadelphia furnished a small locomotive, and rails 
to be laid down in Japan. He also took with him a 
telegraph and other new inventions with which you are 
familiar enough, but which could not fail to impress a 
people so fond of examining and appropriating any- 
thing new and useful. Finally the letter was prepared. 
You may be sure that it was no ordinary letter, but 
an imposing state paper. It was locked in a gold box 
that cost a thousand dollars, and this was securely hid- 
den in a rosewood casket with golden hinges. 

The commodore waited for a long time for the ships 
that had been promised him, but at last he grew tired of 
delays, and on November 24, 1852, sailed from Norfolk 
in the Mississippi. After stopping at several places on 
her journey, the Mississippi anchored at Hong Kong, 
April 6, 1853, and shortly afterwards, accompanied by 
the Plymouth, Saratoga y and Supply , left for Shanghai, 
arriving May 4. Perry now went on board the Sus- 



198 

qtteJianna^ and after visiting the Loo Choo and other 
islands, sailed for Yedo Bay on July 2, 1853. Of the 
twelve vessels promised to him, only six had put in an 
appearance, and as he sent back the Supply and the 
Caprice^ the "imposing force" consisted of only four 
ships, the Mississippi^ Stisquehanna^ Ply mouthy and 
Saratoga^ of which two were sailing vessels. It was, 




The Mississippi in a typhoon 



therefore, not the force displayed by the government 
of the United States, which impressed the regent's 
officers ; but, as we shall see, the calm and proud bear- 
ing of the commodore. 

At last the goal of the expedition, Yedo Bay, was 
reached, and in the afternoon of July 8, the vessels 
anchored. The order was given : " No one allowed to 
go ashore, no person from the shore to be allowed on 



199 

board," and it was not long before the wisdom of this 
order became apparent. The foreign captains who had 
up to this time visited Yedo Bay had taken orders from 
the first officer showing the two swords of the samurai, 
and the Yedo government had begun to look with con- 
tempt upon foreigners who would submissively obey the 
orders of one of its lower officials. But on this occasion 
no respect was paid to any individual before his rank 
was known. Even the vice governor was refused admit- 
tance ! And not until he stated, without regard to 
truth, that the laws of Japan forbade the governor 
from going aboard a foreign ship, was he permitted 
to put his foot on deck. 

He wanted to see the commander at once ! Ah, yes, 
but the commander was too great a person to be seen by 
so insignificant a man as Mr. Vice Governor. **Tell 
him, then, to go back to Nagasaki ! " " Oh ! but the 
Commander is too great a man to be told such a thing. 
Mr. Vice Governor could be sure that this Great Man 
would not listen to such talk. And, by the bye, Mr. 
Vice Governor, you had better send those guard boats 
away from these ships, or the Great Man might get 
angry, and then . . ." The gravity of the speaker 
impressed the native visitor. This line of conduct he 
could understand. It was in this manner that a power- 
ful Japanese officer would have acted. His report 
brought the governor himself the next day in all the 
pomp of lacquered helmet, two swords, silks, etc., despite 
the vice governor's colored statement of the day before. 

Down on their knees, with heads bent to touch the 
bottom of their boats, were the attendants of this 



200 

mighty person, as he ascended the gangway of the 
" fire ship." But even he was not allowed a personal 
interview with the mysterious commander. "Go back 
to Nagasaki? He had not come for that purpose. 
He had a letter to the emperor in Yedo, and to Yedo 
he would go." " Would he wait four days so that the 
emperor could be appealed to, and an answer be 
received ?" " No, he would consent to wait three 
days, but not a moment longer ; and in the meanwhile 
his boats would do some surveying." *' No, fkat can't 
be done. No surveying under any circumstances ! " 
"Ah, but the Great Man has ordered it, and who will 
oppose him .? " 

The Japanese governor went ashore, convinced that 
these were the most intractable foreigners ke had ever 
met, and that this mysterious Great Man must be very 
great indeed, to have things all his own way ! 

The next day there was another visit. But the 
governor was told that no strangers would be allowed 
on board, not even the emperor himself. It was 
Sunday, and Commodore Perry was not the man to 
break the Sabbath for slight causes. The blunt state- 
ment about the regent — for we know now that the 
regent in Yedo had no right to the title of emperor 
— increased the respect of the Japanese; and it was 
only in a half-hearted way, and without any hope that 
they would be able to frighten the Great Man, that 
they began to throw up earthworks, and to collect an 
army of knights, clothed in rusty armor of the Middle 
Ages. 

It was unwelcome news, brought to the Yedo govern- 



I 



20I 



ment, when runners arrived with a detailed account of 
the four vessels and the mysterious person in command. 
It was evident that something must be done at once. 
But the foreigners with whom the /* descendants of the 
gods " had dealt so far, had been satisfied to confer 
with petty officers, and custom could not be discarded 




Delivery of the President's letter 

at once. At last it was decided to send two squires 
to take charge of the letter to the regent. 

And so the governor received orders to communicate 
to the Great Man that the "emperor" would commis- 
sion two princes to receive the letter on shore. You 
see that Perry had well understood the Japanese. They 
thought these two squires were good enough princes to 
deal with barbarians. But Perry was not to be outdone. 
He did not know that these were sham princes, but 



202 

he gave the governor to understand that it was not 
meet for an officer of his subHme rank to go so far 
from the anchorage in a boat, and so he moved his 
steamers within convenient range of the place ap- 
pointed. And now the time came when oriental pomp 
was to be rivaled by occidental gold lace. 

Through the three hundred sailors and marines, 
drawn up as on parade, marched the commodore 
with his staff. And here again he had taken the 
only means to awe his unwilling hosts. They gazed 
upon the two powerful sailors carrying the Stars and 
Stripes, upon the two boys bearing that mysterious 
red casket, and upon the two stalwart negroes, acting 
as guard. The Americans entered the temporary build- 
ing erected for the purpose, and after the casket was 
opened and the letter displayed, it was handed to one 
of the sham princes, who was introduced as " The First 
Councilor of the Empire." Then a formal reply was 
delivered by the interpreter, to this effect: "We have 
received the letted of the President of the United 
States of North America. We have let you know that 
we don't care about having foreigners here, and if you 
want anything from us you must go to Nagasaki. Your 
mysterious Great Man made us believe that he would 
be insulted if we did not receive the letter at this place. 
Very well, we have done so. The answer we will give 
you later, and now you may go home." 

"All right," said Commodore Perry, cheerfully. 
"And when shall I call for an answer? Don't be 
too anxious to see me soon ! Shall we say April 
or May next year.?" And he returned on board, 



203 

leaving the " princes " convinced that they had not 
yet seen the last of him. 

While Perry was in Hong Kong, where his ships 
were being repaired, he received an official communi- 
cation through the Dutch at Deshima that the "em- 
peror " was dead, and that it would be well if he 
postponed his promised call. But the commodore had 
obtained such strong evidence that the Japenese did 
not always stick to the truth, and could even invent 
facts on occasion, that he did not believe the report, 
but, suspecting some trick, rather hurried his prepara- 
tions. 

And yet, the news received was correct, except that 
it was not the emperor but the regent who was dead. 
This, however, did not materially alter the circum- 
stances. All that the Japanese hoped for was delay; 
but Perry spoiled their plans by his prompt action. 

In January, 1854, the fleet, consisting of the Mace- 
doniaUy Vandalia^ Lexington^ Southampton^ Saratoga^ 
and Supplyy with the steamers Susquehanna^ Mississ- 
ippiy and Poivhatany once more left for Japan. The 
commodore again stopped at the Loo Choo Islands, 
so as to give the sailing vessels a good start, and on 
Monday, the 13th of February, the fleet moved up 
Yedo Bay, the steamers towing the sailing vessels, until 
they came within about seven miles from where Yoko- 
hama now stands. This was only about twenty- five 
miles from Yedo, and so unpleasantly close that the 
regent's government decided : " Well, if these persistent 
people must have a treaty, we cannot help ourselves ; 
only we must grant as little as possible." And now the 



204 



play of the mysterious Great Man was to be acted once 
more. 

" Where would the Great Man prefer the negotiations 
to take place?" they asked, mentioning, two places at 
a great distance from the capital. The reply, after 
consulting with the invisible commodore, was: — 

'' Never mind about those places. The spot oppo- 
site us will do as well as any other." 




W^WM 




Landing of the Americans at Uraga 

This answer did not suit. The Japanese tried 
flattery, coaxing, little presents, all to no avail. Finally 
they were told that the Great Man would very much 
like to have matters arranged by February 21 ; that, 
in fact, he would take no refusal. And so the Japa- 
nese sighed : " Well, it can't be helped ! But where 
wz// you have it ? " " Oh ! " replied the commodore, 
still invisible, " I think that Yedo would be the best 



205 

place." But that would not do at all. Perry sent some 
of his men ashore at Uraga (Oo-rah-gah) to confer about 
a meeting place and waited until February 24 ; then he 
advanced another eight miles, anchoring a little be- 
yond Yokohama. Afraid that he would go still nearer 
to the capital, the government yielded, and the negotia- 
tions were held at Yokohama, which is only a short dis- 
tance from Yedo. 




Regent's barge 



This time the commodore landed with five hundred 
well-armed men, and, after long and tedious discussions, 
a treaty was made on March 31, 1854. By the terms 
of the treaty American ships could enter the harbors 
of Hakodate in Hokkaido, and Shimoda (shee-moh- 
dah) in Hondo, for coal, water, and provisions, and 



206 



their sailors would be kindly treated. There was also 
an article promising trading facilities as well as several 
other privileges. And now came the exchange of pres- 
ents. Perry presented the telegraph, with one mile of 
wire, the little locomotive and car, rifles, guns, clocks, 




Perry's meeting with the regent's commission 

sewing machines, maps, charts, etc., and the Japanese 
gave lacquer, bronze, porcelain, ivory, silk, all of which 
you may see in the Smithsonian Institute, at Washing- 
ton. Perry then returned home, having succeeded where 
so many had failed. 



JAPAN IN PERRY'S TIME 

WE must now look at Japan as it was when 
Commodore Perry was on his way to tell its 
government: "You can no longer refuse the hand of 
friendship we are holding out to you. It is absurd to 
suppose that, because of a mere whim, our ships will 
avoid your shores. We do not propose to take any 
advantage of you ; but we ask you to sell us what we 
need, and you can, if you wish, buy from us what you 
may need. At any rate, we do not purpose to stay 
away from your country simply because you would like 
us to." Perry, as we have seen, was the right man to 
carry this message. 

For two hundred and fifty years the descendants of 
lyeyasu had ruled over Japan. During all this time 
there had been peace at home and abroad, owing to the 
strict laws, the perfect system of spying, and the exclu- 
sion of foreigners. The people worked hard and made 
a living ; but as they could not sell in the markets 
abroad, they received very small pay. There was, how- 
ever, no poverty, that is, suffering from want ; nor was 
there any great wealth. If the people had enough rice, 
vegetables, fish, and clothing to cover themselves, what 
more did they require ? Thus the great masses of the 

207 



2o8 

people were contented and happy, — but how about the 

samurai? 

For some two hundred and fifty years their swords had 
been sheathed. They had busied themselves with the 
affairs of their clans ; but that did not occupy all their 
time. To be sure, they could pay and receive calls 
from their friends, and show their intimate knowledge 
of the ceremonies inseparable from a tea party. They 
knew exactly the deference due to a person, and the 
number of compliments he was entitled to. But even 
the acquisition of this knowledge left them consider- 
able leisure, and they spent it in reading. 

The samurai from the time of Nobunaga, who, as we 
have seen, made war upon the ambitious monks, held 
Buddhism in contempt. They turned to the study of 
the pure Shinto religion, which regards the Tenno as 
divine and worships the ancestors as gods. But when • 
they began to study the history of their country, 
when they understood that this regent in Yedo, before 
whom they were cotnpelled to bow, was only a usurper, 
and that the Tenn6, and the Tenn6 only, was the law- 
ful ruler of Japan, they looked around for means to 
deny the authority of the regent. 

A very large number of the samurai read with absorb- 
ing attention the history of Japan, completed under the 
second daimio of Mito, who was a descendant of lye- 
yasu ; and another history written by Rai Sanyo (ri- 
sahn-yoh), wherein it was shown that the loyalty of the 
samurai was due to the Tenn6, was also extensively 
studied. The reading of these books made them all the 
more impatient of the Tokugawa rule. 



209 

" Are we less brave and less stout than our fathers ? " 
they would ask. " Why must our swords remain 
sheathed ? Who is responsible for these long years 
of contemptible peace ? Why can we not subdue Korea, 
which by law of conquest belongs to Japan ? " There 
was deep dissatisfaction among the samurai, and while 
they were not able to express all they felt, of one thing 
they were very sure, — that they no longer wanted the 
descendants of lyeyasu to rule over them. 

The great daimio of the south, those of Satsuma, 
Choshiu (choh-shoo), and Tosa, were especially hostile to 
the regent. The trade with Holland, which was very 
profitable, was for the benefit of the Yedo government. 
Through the Hollanders, the regent could know what 
was passing abroad ; he could order the latest guns and 
cannon, and thereby acquire the means to keep the dai- 
mio in submission. All these daimio encouraged, there- 
fore, the reading of these books, and urged their men 
to arouse the Yamato Damashii (yah-mah-toh dah-mah- 
shee-ee) — that is, the Spirit of Old Japan — among the 
people. 

But the regent in Yedo could afford to laugh at all 
this discontent so long as the daimio remained divided 
among themselves. Even if the most powerful among 
them should dare deny his authority, eighty thousand 
of his own samurai were prepared to punish a rebel. 
And besides, the loyal daimio, descendants of lyeyasu 
or of his generals, were ready to take up arms in his 
defense. There was only the fear that the disaffected 
daimio might unite, that they might march upon Kyoto 
and obtain the sacred person of the emperor, — then, 

STO. OF JAPAN — 14 



2IO 

and then only, would there be an end to the Tokugaw& 
rule. 

Kyoto was the key to the situation. But there was a 
strong garrison composed of the samurai of the most 
loyal clan, guarding the palace, and the admittance to 
Kyoto was strictly prohibited to any of the southern 
daimio. So long as the emperor remained in the power 
of the Tokugawa, all was well. The court nobles, — 
who and what were they ? Paupers, glad enough to be 
fed from the crumbs of the regent's bounty. 

But how about the regent himself } Was he the 
same able, self-reliant man that lyeyasu, the founder 
of the house, had been .? No. The Tokugawa had 
gone the way of all the rulers of Japan. Seven regents 
had succeeded from the direct line, and then successors 
had been adopted. For a long time the descendants of 
lyeyasu had been shadow regents, — puppets in the 
hands of ambitious prime ministers, who trusted to their 
spies to maintain their power. 

Dissatisfaction 'existed everywhere. But while the 
great majority of samurai would have been well pleased 
to see the authority restored to the emperor, the ablest 
among them desired to be his personal advisers; in other 
words, they wished for themselves the power held by 
the Tokugawa. Satsuma thought that it would be better 
for Japan if ke should be regent, the other great daimio 
had probably the same idea regarding themselves, and 
their kerai (kay-rl), or councilors, thought how much 
better it would be if t/iey could direct the affairs. But 
neither daimio nor samurai had any idea of personal 
gain ; they honestly believed they were right. And they 



211 

would have been pleased to accept this power without 
any salary, except just enough to secure the absolute 
necessities of life for themselves and their families. 

It was sure to go hard with the government of Yedo 
when the opportunity for action came. Hundreds of 
samurai were ready to sever the connection with their 
clan and turn r6nin, if they could thereby assist in over- 
turning the Tokugawa. What cared they if hara-kiri 
must inevitably follow.? They were prepared for it. 
Were not the graves of the forty-seven free lances kept 
green in the memory of the people, and would not they 
also be celebrated in song and story.? What greater 
desire could a true samurai have than to die in the 
service of his clan and his lord? 

Many of the samurai were not so ignorant as they 
seemed. Some of them had studied Dutch ; and 
although all the books on board a Dutch vessel 
arriving at Nagasaki were supposed to be stored in 
chests and kept under lock and key in possession of 
the regent's officers, to be returned only when the ship 
was ready to sail, this did not prevent the inquisitive 
and studious Japanese from obtaining possession of 
some of them. And these barbarian vessels that were 
coming so repeatedly, notwithstanding the regent's pro- 
hibition, would they insist upon breaking the laws of 
Japan } Was it not true that the king of Holland had 
sent a letter, advising the regent to enter into a treaty 
with these hairy (bearded) strangers } And was it not 
true also that these same barbarians had dared invade 
the soil of China, and compelled that great empire 
to grant their demands ? Would they also dare come 



212 

with an armed force to sacred Japan, the country of 
the gods, and profane the land destined for the Japa- 
nese ? Or would the Tokugawa at Yedo repeat the dis- 
grace inflicted upon Japan by the cowardly Ashikaga ? 
These were the questions that agitated the samurai, 
those four hundred thousand men who had been and 
were then at once the head and the arms of the coun- 
try, who ruled as well as defended it. 

They were thinking and watching. They felt in- 
stinctively that the time for action was drawing nigh ; 
and all of them were sure that the samurai of Japan 
would be able, when the time came, to give a lesson to 
the barbarians. They wished to have their coast de- 
fenses strengthened, and requested the Yedo govern- 
ment to attend to this. No notice was taken of this 
request. The councilors of the regent, troubled about 
affairs at home, hoped and trusted that foreign powers 
would continue to respect their absolute refusal to enter 
into intercourse with them. 

Every foreign vessel entering the Japanese waters 
was received by officers, who were naturally Tokugawa 
men ; that is, men belonging to the clan of the regent. 
And while many of them were in favor of more liberal 
measures, they were loyal to those who stood at the 
head of their clan, and were prepared to carry out their 
orders. Captains of such foreign vessels could not 
judge, therefore, of the actual feeling prevailing among 
the Japanese, since these men represented only the 
Tokugawa clan. 

When, at last, compulsion made the regent grant 
the demands of the self-invited guests, the Tokugawa 



213 

samurai were fully satisfied. But not so those of other 
clans. They could not, and did not, deny that since a 
Tokugawa regent had taken it upon himself to exclude 
foreigners, another regent of the same house could 
rescind or abolish this law by his own authority, ^hat 
they did object to was the manner in which permission 
to trade with and to reside in Japan had been obtained : 
that a regent of Japan should have submitted to de- 
mands from foreigners without striking a blow ! Had 
he granted the requests of petitioners, and had he 
opened such ports as would have given to every 
daimio the opportunity to profit by this intercourse, the 
Tokugawa regents might have secured another lease 
of government. But the government of Yedo thought 
that they would be able to isolate these newcomers as 
they had the Dutch, and so opened only such ports as 
belonged to the Tokugawa. This caused the hatred, 
both against the Yedo government and the foreigners, 
and the many murders of innocent men by self-ap- 
pointed avengers. 



JAPAN OPENED 

THE first treaty with Japan was signed. It did not 
grant many privileges, but our government saw 
that an opening had been effected, and seized the 
opportunity to improve it. 

In those days hundreds of American ships were 
trading on the coast of China, and many of our mer- 
chants went there themselves, so that they obtained 
considerable experience in dealing with oriental people. 
One of these merchants, Townsend Harris, of the state 
of New York, was appointed the first United States 
consul in Japan. 

When the British and Russians saw that the United 
States had succeeded in making a treaty, they wanted 
to obtain the same privileges. England sent an em- 
bassy under Lord Elgin, and now, what could the 
government at Yedo do.? The foreigners were not 
wanted; but the visitors would take no refusal, and 
Japan was not in condition to defend itself. Should it 
call the samurai to arms.? You may be sure that all 
would have responded eagerly, but the regent's minis- 
ters knew that the utmost courage was no match for 
modern cannon, and that soldiers with armor and bow 
and arrow could not defeat the forces that would be 

214 



215 

sent against them. No, the foreigners must be allowed 
to come; that was inevitable. But the government 
could try to keep these barbarians apart from the 
Japanese, and then if the trade did not prove profitable, 
they would, perhaps, go away of their own accord. 

But these foreigners, now they had once entered, 
were not satisfied to remain cooped up. They did not 
obey the officers appointed to watch them, but would 
claim that they had rights which they would uphold, 
even if the government did not wish them to do so. 

And then there was trouble at home. The regent 
was dead, and had left no son. The daimio of Mito, 
a descendant of lyeyasu, wanted one of his sons ap- 
pointed; but that did not suit the daimio of Hikone 
(hee-koh'-nay), who was prime minister, and a very able 
but unscrupulous man. If Mito's son were appointed, 
his father would be the real regent, and li Naosuke (ee- 
ee-nah-oh-skay), the Lord of Hikone, wished to retain 
his power. li gained the day, and his candidate, 
lyemochi (ee-yay-moh-chee), succeeded as regent. 

But now the foreigners were no longer satisfied with 
the port of Shimoda. There had been a tidal wave, and 
the Diana, a Russian man-of-war, had been wrecked in 
Shimoda, so that port was considered unsafe. At last 
the regent's government was compelled to allow them 
to come and live in Kanagawa (kah-nah-gah-wah). 

And what do you think the Japanese samurai 
thought of all this ? They had no idea at all of the 
strength and power of these foreigners. All they did 
know was that Japan, the land of the gods, had been 
invaded by them, and that they had forced the Toku- 



2l6 



gawa regents to give them a part of the sacred soil 
of their country. It is true that there were only a few 
of these barbarians now, but in the eyes of the Japa- 
nese theirs was such a desirable country that they 
feared these uninvited guests would be only .the fore- 
runners of the host that was to follow. And these 
.Tokugawa had admitted them ! They had submitted 
to the demands of the Tojin (toh-jin), that is, foreign 




Old shipyard, Shimoda 



imps, under threats ! And thus a vague dread changed 
into hatred, and, *' Down with the Tokugawa ! Expel 
the barbarian!" became the rallying cry of Japan's 
warriors. 

The foreign ministers knew nothing of the excite- 
ment caused by their admittance into Japan. In the 
treaty the regent had taken the title of Dai Kun 
(Tycoon), which means Great Prince, and although 
they had heard of a Mikado (Tenno), they were satis- 



217 

fied with the treaty made by the regent. Not so, 
however, the samurai. They knew now that the regent 
was only a servant of the Tenn6, and that he had 
no authority whatever to give an inch of Japan's soil 
to these strangers. Yet he had done so. And now 
the daimio of Mito, his kinsman, remonstrated with 
him, and stated very plainly that all these acts were 
unlawful, because they had not been sanctioned by 
the Tennd. 

And how was it in Kyoto ? There the governor 
of the Yedo government kept a strict guard. Yet 
several great court nobles, or kuge (koo-gay), were 
watching with anxious eyes for the result of this new 
disturbance. I must tell you the names of two of 
these kuge, San jo and Iwakura (ee-wah-koo-rah), for 
they took a leading part in the revolution now so 
near at hand. These kuge, though poor, and sup- 
ported, with the emperor's household, out of the 
scant allowance paid by the wealthy regents, were, 
in the eyes of the Japanese, superior in rank to the 
most powerful daimio, and even to the regent himself. 
Another man who was to take a prominent part in 
the making of New Japan, — a man closely related to 
the Tenn6 himself, whose title of Miya (mee-yah), 
or Temple, showed the high rank he held in the 
structure of which the Heaven Child was the corner- 
stone, — Prince Arisugawa (ah-ree-soo-gah-wah), was 
there to prompt the emperor to such action as his 
advisers might decide upon. It was evident that 
the influence of the Tokugawa was waning. And 
the kuge resolved to watch the course of events, and 



2l8 

in the meanwhile to enter into communication with 
the daimio of the southern clans ; for if the Tokugawa 
were to be overthrown, it must be done by them. 

But a feud existed between the two wealthiest and 
most warlike of these clans, Satsuma and Choshiu, a 
feud carefully nursed by the government in Yedo. In 
both clans, however, there were, among the samurai, 
able men of great power and influence. Okubo (oh- 
koo-boh) and Saigo Takamori (si-goh tah-kah-moh-ree), 
and Kido (kee-do), — the first two Satsuma men, the 
last belonging to the Choshiu clan — saw that a union 
was necessary to overcome the strong power of the 
Tokugawa, and that there was only one authority in 
Japan that could bring the clans together, and that 
was the Tenno in Kyoto. They proceeded to that 
city, and placed themselves in communication with the 
kuge San jo and Iwakura, and it was decided to raise 
the cry of "Yamato Damashii (Spirit of Old Japan)! 
Expel the barbarians ! " 

Their main object was to save Japan from an inva- 
sion by foreigners, and then to punish the Tokugawa 
regents for the danger and disgrace they had brought 
upon their country. They did not and could not see 
any further. But after these purposes were accom- 
plished, they could decide as to the future. 

The foreigners now insisted that certain ports should 
be opened, where they could buy property, build houses, 
and trade. But in theory, at least, all the soil of Japan 
belonged to the Tenno, and how could the regent deed 
it away ? Still the foreigners would take no refusal, and 
at last the government of Yedo promised to set apart 



1 



219 

some land in Kanagawa, where they could build their 
houses and live. It was, however, with great misgivings 
that this promise was made. 

When the time came, Mr. Townsend Harris arrived 
and raised the American flag. But the merchants did 
not like Kanagawa, which is on a high bluff on the bay, 
where at ebb tide the water runs out and leaves ex- 
tensive mud banks. They preferred the site of a little 
fishing village on the beach, Yokohama, and when the 
request for the change was made the Yedo govern- 
ment eagerly assented. For Kanagawa is on the main 
road by which all the southern daimio with their 
numerous escorts of samurai must pass on their annual 
journey to and from Yedo ; and the regent's ministers 
foresaw trouble if the independent foreign merchants 
and the haughty samurai should meet. 

The new treaty was signed in 1858, and the foreign 
settlement of Yokohama was begun in 1859. An Ameri- 
can, Dr. Hall, who was with Mr. Townsend Harris, 
bought the first lot, and began building a handsome 
residence in our style of architecture. 

Now foreign vessels began to arrive in Yokohama, 
for the Japanese people were glad to buy goods 
made abroad. But hundreds of samurai saw in the 
arrival of peaceful merchants the beginning of an 
invasion of their country, and thought that the best 
thing they could do was to cut down as many of these 
invaders as possible ; and murders of foreigners in 
Yokohama became very frequent. The government 
dared not arrest the murderers, for very often they 
were prominent samurai of powerful clans. The for- 



220 

eign ministers demanded money for the men who were 
assassinated, or else that their murderers should be 
brought to justice, and the regent's government paid 
the money. A midshipman from the boat of a Russian 
man-of-war which had come to the beach for water, was 
almost cut in two by the sharp sword of a samurai. 
The government could not deliver up the murderer, 
so the Russian minister demanded that the northern 
half of the island of Saghalien (sah-gah-leen) should 
be given to Russia, and the Yedo government granted 
the demand. This looked very much as though the 
fears of the samurai that Japan might be divided among 
the foreigners were not groundless. The number of 
ronin increased, and it became dangerous for foreigners 
in Yokohama, even in broad daylight. 

The foreign ministers had moved to Yedo, where 
each was given a temple to reside in, with a strong 
guard of Tokugawa samurai. But although the gov- 
ernment did all it could to protect them, their resi- 
dences were set on fire, and frequently they were 
attacked in the night. They were puzzled to know 
the reason of this hatred. The Japanese people — that 
is, the farmers, the merchants, and mechanics — were 
polite and civil, and showed no dislike for the for- 
eigners. We know, now, however, that the samurai 
thought that their country was in danger, and they 
were willing to sacrifice their lives to drive the invaders 
away. 

The ministers and the members of the legations were 
warned against going out. But one day Mr. Heusken, 
the secretary of the American minister, while on his 



221 

way home, was cut down and killed. The Japanese 
government paid for this murder, but the assassin 
was never discovered. The other ministers decided 
to move to Yokohama, but Mr. Harris thought it best 
to remain in Yedo. 

The government now committed a serious blunder. 
Thinking that it could appease the great clans by mak- 
ing some concessions, it abolished the law requiring the 
daimio to reside every other half year in Yedo. The 
samurai saw that the regent or his prime minister was 
afraid of them, and it only made them the bolder. 
The prime minister, li Naosuke, was the special object 
of their hatred, for he was considered the author of the 
treaties and the cause of the admission to Japan of 
the detested foreigners. 

The daimio of Mito had not forgiven him for pre- 
venting his son from succeeding as regent, and he 
openly blamed the prime minister, while he praised the 
samurai who. attacked defenseless foreigners. li pun- 
ished him by banishing him to his seat in Mito. This 
was an insult to the clan which, according to the 
samurai code of honor, could only be wiped out in blood, 
li's life had been in constant danger, and he had taken 
precautions, but now his death was only a question of 
time. 

On March 23, i860, there was a heavy snowstorm 
in Yedo. Only those who were, forced to leave their 
homes were hurrying through the deserted, snow- 
covered streets. After the prime minister had ordered 
his norimono (sedan chair) to proceed to the castle, his 
topknot became unfastened. This W9.s such a sign of 



222 

ill omen, that his attendants begged him to omit, or at 
least postpone, his daily visit. But li only laughed, 
and, as soon as his hair had been dressed, left his 
yashiki, with his escort. His samurai, to defend them- 
selves against the inclement weather, had put on kimo- 
no (kee-moh-noh) — cotton gowns worn by men and 
women alike — and wore besides straw rain coats. As 
they were approaching the Sakura (sah-koo-rah) gate 
of the castle, the vanguard of the escort had an alterca- 
tion with some people who seemed to be lounging 
there. The norimono halted, and li looked out to 
inquire into the cause of this stopping. Before the 
rear guard could run up, and throw off their rain 
coats to draw their swords, the norimono was sur- 
rounded by rdnin, the prime minister's head was cut 
off, and the murderers escaped with their ghastly 
trophy. The head was taken to Mito, where it was 
placed upon a pike over the castle gate. 

Among the clans who showed especial hostility to 
the admittance of foreigners was that of Choshiu in the 
south. Two young samurai of this clan, I to (ee-to) and 
Inouye (ee-noo-yay), disregarding the risk of punishment 
by death if ever they should return to Japan, resolved 
to go to Europe and see for themselves if there was 
really any plan for the conquest of Japan. They ob- 
tained a passage to England, where they supported 
themselves in humble capacities, and mastered the 
English language. As soon as they were able to read 
and understand the newspapers, they discovered that 
nothing threatened the independence of their country, 
but they stood aghast when they fully comprehended 



223 

how far Japan was behind the times. They returned 
to Japan at a critical time, when their services were 
valuable not only to their clan but also to their late 
hosts. 

And here let me call attention to the all-absorbing 
love of country, so universal among the samurai. For 
their country's benefit these young men were willing 
to go among strangers, where they were treated with 
contempt as barbarians, — strangers, too, whose man- 
ners and customs were repugnant to them ; an4 they 
were even content to serve them in a menial capacity, 
doing the humblest kind of work. For Ito, who 
was prime minister of Japan for many years, and 
who wrote the constitution, and Inouye, who was min- 
ister of state, ambassador to Korea, and held other 
prominent positions in the government, worked in 
England as house servants. 

Choshiu's samurai were plotting in Kyoto, and Saigo 
Takamori, a very influential Satsuma samurai, whose 
sad story I shall tell you in another chapter, was help- 
ing them. But the plot leaked out, and the leading 
kuge were banished. Soon after this the Satsuma and 
Choshiu clans refused to obey any more orders from 
the regent, and when the Tokugawa sent an army 
to punish Choshiu, the government troops were badly 
defeated. 

This emboldened these southern clans to begin open 
war upon the foreigners. If you look at the map of 
Japan, you will see that the southern part of Hondo is 
separated from the northern part of Kiushiu by the 
Straits of Shimonoseki (shee-moh-noh-say-kee\ The 



224 

government of Yedo had granted to foreigners the 
right to sail through these waters, but Choshiu, in 
whose territory Shimonoseki was situated, erected bat- 
teries, and when an American merchant ship, the 
Pembroke, was passing through the Straits, the Choshiu 
batteries opened fire upon her. 

It happened that a sloop of war, the Wyoming, was 
in Yokohama harbor, where she had arrived after an 
unsuccessful search for the Alabama, the Confederate 
vessel that was doing so much harm to the merchant- 
men of the North. The American minister in Yedo 
now came to the conclusion that the regent's govern- 
ment was unable to control the southern daimio, and 
that, if these constant assaults were to cease, they 
must be stopped by the foreigners themselves; so he 
conferred with Captain David MacDougal of the 
Wyoming, who was quite willing to teach the Choshiu 
clan respect for the American flag. 

He left for Shimonoseki and entered the Straits 
July i6, 1863. There were a steamer and a brig 
belonging to Choshiu, lying close in shore and under 
the batteries. The Choshiu samurai were glad enough 
to fight, but they were taken aback not a little when 
this single vessel, by skillful handling, in one hour and 
a half sunk their brig, blew up their steamer, and de- 
stroyed one of their batteries. They had also fired 
upon a French dispatch vessel, and a man-of-war of 
that nation destroyed another battery. But these de- 
feats did not discourage the warriors of Choshiu. They 
needed another lesson before they would acknowledge 
that they were not so strong as these "foreign devils." 



225 

While this was going on in the south, the samurai of 
Choshiu, who had made Kyoto their headquarters, 
made an attempt to take the palace and to carry off the 
Tenno, because then they could issue orders in his 
name, and the regent in Yedo would be a rebel if he 
disobeyed their commands. But Satsuma and another 
clan rushed to the defense of the Tenn6, because the 
Satsuma samurai did not want Choshiu to take the 
place of the Tokugawa, and at this time there were but 
a few individuals in Japan who had ever thought that 
the Heaven Child himself should engage in temporal 
affairs. The prevailing desire was to reclaim the gov- 
ernment from the Tokugawa and to appoint a stronger 
man as barbarian-expelling regent. Many clans were 
ambitious to acquire this honor, but the most prominent 
were Satsuma, Choshiu, and Tosa. A battle was 
fought in the streets of Kyoto, where thirty thousand 
houses were destroyed by fire. Choshiu was defeated, 
and that clan was prohibited from ever reentering the 
capital. 

The representative of the Satsuma clan was in Kyoto 
and proposed to escort to Yedo one of the kuge who 
was charged by the court with orders from the Tenno 
to the regent, commanding him to expel the barbarians. 
The prime minister had been informed of the purpose 
of this journey, and when Satsuma arrived in Yedo, 
refused to receive him. The old lord and his retainers 
were in no pleasant mood when they began their long 
return march. 

They had gone about fourteen miles, with all the 
pomp of the Middle Ages, when they met a party of 

STO. OF JAPAN — 15 



226 



foreigners on horseback. They were three Englishmen 
and a lady. One of them, Mr. Richardson, was a mer- 
chant from Shanghai on his way to England for a vaca- 





Duel with swords 



tion. They were going to visit a temple at Kawasaki 
(kah-wah-sah-kee) when they met Satsuma's escort. 
Japanese etiquette demanded that people on horse- 



22/ 

back should dismount while the procession of a daimio 
passed. It does not appear whether Mr. Richardson 
and his friends knew of this rule; but, even if they 
did, foreigners were not expected to conform to the 
rules of courtesy of the Japanese. It is said, however, 
that Mr. Richardson guided his horse through the 
procession, which, if true, was a foolhardy proceeding. 
Be that as it may, sharp swords flew out of their 
scabbards, and in a few minutes Mr. Richardson was 
lying weltering in his blood, while Mr. King, another 
member of the party, was severely wounded in the arm. 
The two unwounded foreigners, accompanied by Mr. 
King, who with difficulty kept his saddle, were soon 
flying back to Kanagawa, where Dr. Hepburn, an 
American medical missionary, attended to the wounded 
man. 

When reports, of this attack reached Yokohama, in- 
dignation meetings were held, and many residents were 
anxious to go in a body, overtake the Satsuma proces- 
sion, and take summary vengeance. It was with diffi- 
culty that wiser counsels prevailed. The British minister 
gave the Yedo government a limited time to deliver up 
the murderer. But how could the regent order the 
arrest of a Satsuma samurai, especially while he was 
with his clan ? The time passed, and Satsuma was to 
receive a lesson. The British fleet proceeded to Kago- 
shima, Satsuma' s chief city, and bombarded it. The 
Yedo government was then fined five hundred thou- 
sand dollars, and Satsuma twenty-five thousand dollars. 
Both sums were paid, but the murderer escaped arrest. 

It was no murder in the eyes of the Satsuma samurai, 



228 

or in those of any of the other clans, but a necessary 
act, demanded by the loyalty due to the clan. And 
when the ugly mood of the men composing Satsuma's 
escort is taken into consideration, it seems a wonder that 
any of the party escaped. The government of Yedo 
was not sorry that Satsuma's pride had been humbled , 
while the samurai of that clan, known as the bravest of 
all the brave Japanese samurai, were astounded that 
they could have been beaten by these foreigners. And 
they resolved from that time on to master the secret of 
the barbarian's strength, and to acquire his knowledge. 
It was the desire to be able to defeat us with our own 
weapons, combined with the untiring patience of the 
Japanese character, that led to those changes in Japan 
which we call its progress, and which so long have 
seemed inexplicable. 

Choshiu, in the meanwhile, continued firing upon ves- 
sels passing through the Straits of Shimonoseki, and 
the ministers of four nations, the United States, Eng- 
land, France, and Holland, made up their minds to 
punish him. Seventeen men-of-war belonging to those 
powers attacked Choshiu's forts. The samurai de- 
fended themselves bravely, but the Choshiu forts were 
taken and destroyed. When the clan began negotia- 
tions for peace, the two young samurai, Ito and Inouye, 
returned from England just in time to take an active 
part in them. They assured their fellow samurai that 
the fear of an invasion of Japan by a foreign power 
was baseless. When they were satisfied of this fact, 
which spread with great rapidity among the two- 
sworded class, the opposition to foreigners ceased 



229 

But the insult to the clan was neither forgiven nor 
forgotten, and Choshiu, too, decided to dissemble until 
the samurai had acquired the secret of the barbarians' 
strength. 

Both the Satsuma and Choshiu samurai were now 
strongly in favor of admitting these foreigners under 
certain restrictions. They would need them as instruc- 
tors; they would need also to purchase from them 
their terrible engines of war. It was now agreed 
among the ministers of the four powers that the gov- 
ernment of Yedo should be given the choice between 
paying an indemnity of three millions of dollars and 
opening new ports. It preferred paying the money, 
and each nation received one fourth, or seven hundred 
and fifty thousand dollars. The United States after- 
wards returned its share. 

Satsuma and Choshiu were now more than ever 
determined that the Yedo government must fall, and 
since all the clans, the Tokugawa and their allies 
excepted, would rally under the Tenn6, they would 
spare no efforts to get hold of the emperor's person, 
and to use his authority to form a new government. 
The regent lyemochi died in the summer of 1866, and 
Mito's son, Hitotsubashi Tokugawa (stots* bashee) was 
appointed to succeed him. 



THE TOKUGAWA REGENTS STEP OUT 

THE new regent was the last man to uphold the 
office so long occupied by his ancestors. More of 
a thinker than a man of deeds, he preferred the quiet 
of a library to the duties and dangers of power, and it 
was with reluctance that he accepted the dignity offered 
him. He would have been well enough pleased, in 
peaceful times, to hand the responsibilities of his office 
over to an ambitious prime minister, but these were 
days when the regent himself must act. 

The Tenn6 in Kyoto seemed to be well disposed 
toward the new regent, since he gave his sister in mar- 
riage to him. But this did not lead to peace. The 
agitation was more than ever kept up by Satsuma and 
Choshiu, who had been assured of the help of many 
powerful clans. Such was the situation when the 
Tenno, Komei (koh-mi), died, in the beginning of 1867, 
and the boy Mutsuhito (moots-shtoh), a lad not quite 
fifteen years old, succeeded to the title and dignity. 

Hitotsubashi, or Keiki (kay-kee), the regent, went to 
Kyoto to pay his respects to the Tenno ! How the times 
had changed in less than a score of years. Twenty years 
before, the Yedo government was all powerful, and the 

230 



231 

descendant of the sun goddess was a mere name, a 
shadow ; and now, the eyes of all Japan, and of the 
foreign ministers also^ were fixed upon this boy, the 
heir to — what ? It was more than probable that there 
would be a change, but one by which only the master 




Hitotsubashi or Keiki 



or guardian would be affected. For if the idea of a 
united Japan existed at all, it was only in the minds 
of a very few men, — Okubo of Satsuma, Kido of 
Choshiu, and Sanjo and Iwakura the kuge. But the 
regent saw that his time had come, and on November 9, 
1867, he resigned. 
This resignation placed the leaders of the revolution 



232 

in a quandary. The clans opposed to the Tokugawa 
were in the majority in the palace, so that now they 
could use the emperor's authority, but they were per- 
plexed as to what to do. A meeting of the daimio was 
called for the purpose of deciding the form of the new 
government, and in the meanwhile the regent was told 
to continue in his office until further orders. But the 
daimio did not appear. With the exception of one or 
two, they were helpless puppets in the hands of their 
samurai, — men who had never been allowed to origi- 
nate an idea, or even to decide in matters strictly 
concerning themselves. And to call a meeting of the 
leading samurai of the clans would have evoked inter- 
clannish jealousies, and perhaps a prolonged civil war. 
It was a dangerous period for Japan, 

The foreign ministers had come to Osaka to be pres- 
ent at the opening of that port and of Hiogo, which 
was to take place on New Year's day, 1868. On the 
3d of January the combined clans seized the palace 
gates; and the regent, now afraid of personal injury, 
left Kyoto secretly on the evening of January 6th, and 
withdrew to the castle of Osaka. The allied clans now 
summoned him to appear; but, having been advised 
by the Tokugawa clan to be on his guard, he went, 
accompanied by about ten thousand samurai, loyal 
to the Tokugawa house. The allied clans resolved 
to prevent him from marching upon the capital with 
his force, and for the third time in the history of 
Japan the rice fields of Fushimi (foo-shee-mee) saw 
the fate of Japan decided. The regent was defeated, 
and fled by sea to Yedo. One of his councilors urged 



233 

upon him to commit hara-kiri, but Hitotsubashi de- 
clined. The man who advised him was honest in the 
belief that this ought to be done, and, to prove it, com- 
mitted suicide himself. 

The allied clans decided first to subdue those north- 
ern clans who still remained faithful to the regent's 
cause. An army of samurai was easily collected, and, 
to avoid jealousy, it was commanded in person by the 
man highest in rank after the Tenno, Prince Arisu- 
gawa, while the active command was taken by Japan's 
ideal samurai, Saigo Takamori of Satsuma. Yedo sur- 
rendered after a brief struggle in the temple on the 
Uyeno (oo-way-noh) heights. But Enomoto (en-noh- 
moh-toh), the admiral of the regent's fleet, escaped to 
Hokkaido, taking with him the foreign vessels bought 
by the regent's government. 

The northern clans made the best struggle they 
could, but the regent was ordered to withdraw to his 
castle at Shizuoka (sheed-zoo-oh-kah), where he still 
lives, enjoying himself with experiments in photog- 
raphy. Enomoto first thought of forming a republic 
in Hokkaido ; but the allied clans pursued him, 
and at last he surrendered, offering to commit hara- 
kiri if his companions were spared. But the leaders 
of the new government did not desire to arouse the 
clan spirit for the sake of revenge ; they had one wish : 
to be able to cope with the foreigners on their own 
terms, and for that purpose they needed a united Japan. 
Enomoto and the other Tokugawa leaders were taken 
into the service of the new government, and were given 
positions of responsibility according to their ability. 



234 

Thus Enomoto was minister to Russia, minister of 
foreign affairs, and, under the last Ito cabinet, minister 
of commerce and agriculture ; while Okubo, who de- 
fended Uyeno against the imperial troops, was minister 
of Japan in Korea at the time the war between China 
and Japan broke out. 

But now the question was : What was the new gov- 
ernment to be? The only men able to rule were the 
samurai, and there were not a few leaders in their own 
clan who thought that they were the men best fitted for 
the purpose. Satsuma and Choshiu were prominent 
on account of the share they had taken in causing the 
downfall of the Yedo government, and of the samurai 
of these clans Okubo and Kido were by far the ablest. 
To avoid jealousy, it was decided that Prince Arisu- 
gawa, with the kuge Sanjo and Iwakura, should form 
the executive, with a board of councilors comprising 
the most illustrious samurai. This was a wise resolu- 
tion, for the three men selected ranked head and 
shoulders above the daimio ; so that no clan could feel 
slighted, whereas the real power remained where it had 
been for centuries, — in the hands of the best samurai. 

The first act of the new government was to ratify the 
treaties, and from this time the attacks upon foreigners 
ceased, except in isolated instances. Two of these 
must be told in detail. 



HOW A SAMURAI COMMITTED HARA-KIRI 

ON the 4th of February, 1868, the newly opened 
port of Hiogo, where the foreign settlement Kobe 
(koh-bay) is located, presented an animated appearance ; 
for the first settlers were unloading their goods, houses 
were in the course of erection, coolies were shouting, 
strangers were crowding the streets, and the foreign 
ministers with their staffs were actively engaged in 
giving directions or chatting with the less busy members 
of the young community. 

The harbor, too, presented a gay appearance with 
the many war vessels flying their national flags, and 
boats passing to and fro. A bright sun showed the 
glorious blue sky, and there was a general feeling of 
security, owing to the presence of the fleet and the 
number of well-armed sailors and marines. Had these 
been absent, the foreigners would have been very 
much alarmed. For civil war was raging ; troops 
of armed samurai were constantly moving upon Kyoto, 
the regent had fled, and no one knew what the morrow 
might bring forth. 

A band of samurai belonging to the Hizen clan were 
on the march to Kyoto. When they had arrived within 
the foreign settlement, they were seen to halt ; a word 

235 



236 

of command was given, and then came a whizzing of 
bullets, fired as fast as repeating rifles could send them 
forth. Happily these Hizen samurai had not had time 




to practice sharpshooting, for most of the bullets went 
wide of the mark ; but had they been good shots, few 
of the foreigners ashore would have lived to tell the 



237 

story. The officers of the men-of-war in port heard 
the firing and suspected the cause. A few orders rang 
out, boats were manned, and before the Hizen men 
were quite out of the place, the guards of the different 
legations, and the soldiers and marines of the war 
vessels, were after them. But the Hizen samurai, hav- 
ing heard of Shimonoseki and Kagoshima, did not wait 
for them, so the foreign troops had their trouble for 
nothing. 

The whole affair seemed a farce. Two or three men 
in the foreign settlement had been slightly wounded, 
and one old woman was shot in the leg. She belonged 
to the lowest caste of the Japanese, and by the natives 
vyas looked upon with contempt. But the foreign doctor 
examined her, and had her taken in and made comfort- 
able, notwithstanding the protests of the native servants. 

Although the consequences had been slight, the for- 
eign ministers resolved to make an example of the case 
and insist upon the punishment of the offending officer; 
and the Tenn6's government recognized the justice of 
the demand. There was no difficulty now about discover- 
ing the culprit. Upon receiving the assurance that he 
would be permitted to commit hara-kiri, the clan deliv- 
ered him up without raising the slightest disturbance, 
and the order came under the Tenno seal that dele- 
gates from the foreign legations should be allowed to 
be present to be convinced that the real culprit was 
brought to justice. 

Ito Shunske (ee-to shoons-kay), now Marquis Ito Hiro- 
bumi (hee-roh-boo-mee), ex-prime minister of state, the 
same Choshiu man who had been a house servant in 



23« 

England, was governor of Hiogo. He and another 
officer were to represent the Tenno at the execution, 
which was to take place in a temple, the headquarters 
of the Satsuma men, at half past ten at night. Officers 
of Satsuma and Choshiu conducted the foreign dele- 
gates to the temple, where, after passing through 
crowds of soldiers standing around camp fires in the 
temple grounds, they were shown into an inner room. 

After they had waited some time. Governor Ito came 
in, wrote down the names of the foreigners, and told 
them that seven Japanese officers would witness the 
execution on behalf of the government. After a short 
time, the foreigners were invited to enter the hall pre- 
pared for the execution. They followed the Japanese 
witnesses into the main hall, which was lighted by a 
number of lamps peculiar to Buddhist temples. Before 
the high altar a cloth of scarlet wool was placed over 
the mats covering the floor. The Japanese witnesses 
took their places on the left, the foreigners on the 
right. 

A few minutes passed, and a fine-looking, strongly 
built man about thirty-two years old, dressed in the 
state dress of a samurai, walked in quietly, evincing 
not a sign of emotion. With him came his second, a 
friend who had undertaken the last service for the con- 
demned man, that of cutting off the head after the 
deadly incision was made. Three officers wearing the 
war dress followed. The condemned man first ap- 
proached the Japanese witnesses, whom he saluted with 
a stately bow showing no servility, — a salute returned 
in the same dignified manner. Then, turning to the 



239 

foreigners, he repeated the salutation. Every one of 
these foreigners was forced to admire the high-bred 
demeanor and dauntless courage of this samurai, and 
all would have been glad to see him pardoned. There 
was no sign of emotion on the impenetrable counte- 
nances of the Japanese spectators. 

The man approached the high altar and twice 
prostrated himself before it. Turning round, he sat 
down on the scarlet rug, with his second close beside 
him. One of the three attendants then came forward 
and brought, upon a tray, the dagger, nine and a half 
inches long, pointed, and sharp as a razor. Kneeling 
respectfully before the condemned samurai, the attend- 
ant handed him the dagger, and he received it as the 
Japanese do a valued gift, by raising it to his forehead 
with both hands ; and then he placed it in front of him- 
self. 

Again bowing deeply, he prepared to speak. It was 
expected that he would boast of his deed ; for the Japa- 
nese samurai, about to die by his own hand, had the 
right to address the witnesses, and it was customary 
for him to defend the act that cost him his life by plac- 
ing it in the best light. But it was evident that this 
man understood that the unprovoked attack instigated 
by him might have cost his country dear. It was said 
afterwards that, before going to his death, he had called 
his fellow-clansmen, and assured them that the judg- 
ment was just, and that no ill will must be shown to 
those who had brought it upon him. So little does a 
samurai consider his own welfare when the good of his 
country is at stake. On this occasion, in a calm and 



240 

dignified manner he said, with as much hesitation as 
would be natural in a man making a humiliating con- 
fession : "I, and I alone, without cause, gave the order 
to fire on the foreigners at Kobe, and again as they 
tried to escape. For this crime I commit hara-kiri, 
and I beg you who are present to do me the honor 
of witnessing the act." 

After bowing once more, he let his clothes drop to 
his belt, and took care to tuck the ends of his long 
sleeves under his knees, so that he should fall forward. 
Then he took up the dagger, looked at it for a moment 
almost with affection, and slowly but deeply cut him- 
self. His second jumped up, there was a flash, and the 
head rolled upon the floor. The two witnesses for the 
Tenno now crossed over to the foreigners, and called 
them to witness that justice had been done. They made 
a suitable answer and departed, deeply moved by the 
spectacle. 

But an example was necessary. The roving samurai 
had made altogether too free with their swords, and 
promising lives had been cut short without any provo- 
cation. And even this example was not sufficient. It 
was only when the foreign ministers insisted that all 
samurai who made an unprovoked attack upon foreign- 
ers should be handed over to the executioner and die 
the death of a common felon, that the attacks ceased. 
It was the assault on the British minister at Kyoto that 
led to the enactment of this law. 



THE TENNO LEAVES HIS SECLUSION 

I HAVE told you before that the first act of the new 
government had been to ratify the treaties, and it 
was publicly announced that the Tenno had given his 
consent that foreigners should live in Japan and trade 
there. The foreign ministers now proposed that they 
should present their credentials, as the papers appoint- 
ing them are called, to the Tenno in person, and Okubo 
and Kido prevailed upon the court to consent that this 
extraordinary step be taken. 

The Heaven Child to be visible! and above all by 
those foreign intruders who had forced themselves 
upon the sacred soil of Japan ! You may well sup- 
pose that the people thought the world was coming 
to an end, and so far as old Japanese superstitions 
and the customs of the Middle Ages were con- 
cerned, the beginning of the end had certainly come. 
Kyoto, the sacred city, was to be profaned by the 
presence of foreigners, who were to be received as 
welcome guests. 

They must be made welcome, for Japan had need of 
them. Both Okubo and Kido felt sure of it, and 
although they liked these strangers no better than 
did the rest of the samurai, they needed them for the 

^O. OF JAPAN — 1 6 241 



242 

advice they could give, the teachers they could supply, 
and the improvements they could help to introduce. 
For Japan must be raised from the slough of igno- 




The emperor leaving his court 

ranee into which she had sunk, she must shake off the 
fetters of useless encumbrances, and must prepare to be 
able to take her place among the foremost nations of 
the earth, and lead — not follow. Okubo and Kido 



Z43 

knew full well that the path was crooked and thorny, 
and beset with pitfalls. But if there were no foolish 
going astray for the purpose of momentary gratification, 
if the final aim were held constantly in view, greatness 
would be achieved and no time would be lost. 

So the foreign ministers were to be received by this 
youth of mighty omen ! And Kyoto was crowded ; for 
samurai, priests, and idle young men had flocked to the 
capital, where a new force was opening the era of en- 
lightenment. The British minister was one of the first 
of western people to stand face to face with the mys- 
terious Heaven Child. He was escorted to the capi- 
tal as befitted his rank and the dignity of his country ; 
was received and shown to the residence set apart 
for him during his brief stay; and a Japanese guard 
of honor watched over his safety. 

But two young men, who had come to the old capital, 
after making merry until they were scarcely able to 
distinguish right from wrong, began discussing the 
topics of the day. What subject could be of more 
absorbing interest than the approaching visit of these 
bearded foreigners to their Tenno ? In maudlin sorrow 
they began to bewail the disgrace of the country in 
being compelled to suffer the presence of the strangers, 
until finally they decided to emulate the r6nin, and 
dispatch some of the unwelcome visitors. 

The British minister, unconscious of the plot, at the 
appointed hour prepared to go to the palace in such 
state as would impress a people accustomed to set an 
inordinate value upon pomp and ceremony. The Japar 
nese guard led ; then came the mounted escort, followed 



244 

by the minister and those attached to the legation. 
Upon turning a corner, there was a commotion, and 
a man was seen running amuck, and slashing with his 
sharp sword at the members of the escort. He came, 
indeed, very near killing the minister. But the Japa- 
nese guard was not idle, and before he could work 
much mischief, the poor, crazed man was severely 
wounded, taken prisoner, and carried to a neighboring 
house. This incident prevented the audience from tak- 
ing place on that day. The Japanese government 
acted promptly and with energy. A dignified apology 
was offered to the British minister, who accepted it in 
the same spirit. The next day the descendant of the 
sun goddess met the foreigner^ and with this meeting 
began the era of new Japan. 

But how were the necessary reforms to be begun } — 
that was the question facing those who had taken the 
lead. It was not enough to demolish the structure that 
had existed since the Middle Ages; it was necessary 
that the sound timber should be preserved, and used 
in the more stately building that was to arise upon the 
ruins of the old. What material must be kept, and 
what discarded t The first step was taken : the Tenno 
might remain a god, but he must no longer be a her- 
mit; he must be a ruler in the modern sense of the 
term ; and to perform this task effectually, Kyoto must 
be left behind, and the seat of government transferred 
to the capital founded by lyeyasu, no longer to be called 
Yedo, but Tokyo, or " eastern capital." 

But now a meeting of the nobles was called, to 
arrange about the next step. The young Tenn6, then 



245 

a lad of sixteen years, attended the meeting, took the 
oath as ruler, and, instructed by his advisers, promised 
that " a deliberative assembly should be formed ; all 
measures to be decided by public opinion ; the uncivil- 
ized customs of former times to be broken through; 
the impartiality and justice displayed in the workings 
of nature to be adopted as a basis of action." This 
promise was afterwards taken to imply a constitutional 
government. 

Acquainted, as we now are, with the Japanese, this 
proceeding is easily accounted for. The Tenn6 was 
speaking, not to the common people, always kept in 
submission, and satisfied with the usually just and hu- 
mane rule of the samurai, but to those samurai them- 
selves, — four hundred thousand men, accustomed to 
be consulted in the management of their clans, and 
to occupy such offices as their administration rendered 
necessary. These men, the muscle and brain of the 
nation, were watching the course of events, and asking, 
"What is to become of us .? " This promise on the part 
of the government meant, and was understood to mean : 
"Whatever happens, you shall all have a share in the 
government under the new order of affairs, and noth- 
ing shall be done without consultation with you." The 
promise had the effect foreseen by the government: 
the samurai were satisfied to await the course of events. 

Okubo, Kido, Goto (goh-toh), and Iwakura were 
soon convinced that, if the Tenno's government was 
to acquire real authority, the old feudal system must 
fall. They consulted with their fellow-clansmen, and 
persuaded them that their daimio, Satsuma, Choshiu, 



246 

and Tosa should return their territories to the emperor. 
The daimio, as you have learned, were only puppets, 
and when the council of the samurai had decided that 
it should be so, the lords of the clan could only submit. 
But Satsuma's samurai, although they consulted, and 
although the document was sent to the Tenno, re- 
served to themselves the right to postpone its enter- 
ing into effect until they were satisfied that their clan 
would receive due recognition. They were not in favor 
of a new order of affairs, but preferred a feudal system 
of which they knew the ways and advantages, to a 
new system of which they knew nothing, especially if 
their clan could occupy the position so lately wrested 
from the Tokugawa. 

The plans of Okubo, Kido, and Iwakura, however, 
met with success. For the other daimio, or rather their 
samurai, impelled by the example of the great southern 
clans, also placed their territories in the hands of the 
Tenno. To accustom the samurai to the change, these 
lands were now cS.lled departments, and the former 
daimio were appointed as governors. 

A new division of the inhabitants was made into the 
following four classes: i, the kozoku (koh-dzoh-koo) or 
imperial princes ; 2, the kazoku (kah), the former kuge 
and the daimio ; 3, the shizoku (shee), the former samu- 
rai ; and 4, the heimin (hi-min), the common people. 

Many of the samurai, however, were afraid that too 
great changes would be harmful to their country. In 
the deliberative assembly of 1869, the clerk of the 
house, Ono (oh-noh), introduced a motion proposing 
to abolish hara-kiri. Only three members out of two 



247 

hundred and nine spoke in favor of this motion. Six 
members declined to vote, but two hundred voted 
against it. In the debate that preceded the voting, 
the different speakers referred to this pecuHar suicide 
as "the very shrine of the Japanese national spirit, and 
the embodiment in practice of devotion to principle," 
"a great ornament to the empire," "a valuable insti- 
tution, tending to the honor of the nobles, and based 
on a compassionate feeling toward the official caste," 
" a pillar of religion and a spur to virtue." And Ono, 
who introduced this motion, was murdered not long 
afterwards. 

But the leaders of new Japan were determined to 
control both power and means to carry out the necesv 
sary reforms. The income of the former daimio was 
appropriated by the government, and the old feudal 
lords received a pension equal to one tenth of their 
former revenues. But what was to become of the 
samurai ? These men, as a class, despised trade, and 
were by tradition and education unable to earn their 
own living. "Give them work that suits them," said 
Saigo Takamori and those samurai members of the 
council who sympathized with the fighting qualities of 
their class. " We have been humiliated by these for- 
eigners, and we are not strong enough to fight them. 
But there is Korea. It belongs to us, and the king 
has insulted our Tenno. Let us show these foreigners 
that, if we are no match for them, we are at least able 
to vanquish somebody else. And it will please the 
samurai to show to the world of what stuff they are 
made," 



248 

" It won't do," replied Okubo, Kido, and those men 
who saw further ahead. " It is true that Korea has 
refused to receive our embassy and to recognize the 
Tenno, and we shall settle that little account afterwards. 
If we did so now, these foreigners might, and probably 
would, interfere. When we begin that game, we must 
be able to say : ' Hands off ! * and to do so we need 
an army and a navy such as these foreigners have. 
We must have experienced officers, able to beat the 
foreigners at their own game ; and, above all, we must 
provide ourselves with a well-filled purse. No, it will 
not do at this time." 

" But what about the samurai ? Are you going to 
let them starve while you are preparing ? " " Well, 
we shall help them as much as we can, but for the sake 
of Japan we must employ only the best material ; and 
those samurai who are possessed with the true spirit 
will not ask for help." 

Saigo and the other representatives of the old 
samurai class resigned their positions, and withdrew 
in great anger to their former clans. The samurai 
were granted a pension of twenty dollars a year, or if 
they wished, they could sell their pensions to the gov- 
ernment. The less worthy among them did so. A few 
became merchants, and I know of some who grew rich. 
Others spent the money in riotous living, and when it 
was gone, applied to the government for help, only to 
receive the answer : " Go and work ! " I have known 
jinrikisha (jin-rik-shah) coolies who had been samurai, 
but lost caste, and were earning an honest living in 
this humble manner* 



249 

Saigo and his men had the sympathies of a great 
many samurai, and the government understood that, if 
it would succeed in its plans, it must have the means to 
suppress any attempt at rebellion. It was Okubo again 
who proposed the introduction of a system of conscrip- 
tion by which a number of able-bodied young men 
of the common people should be compelled to serve 
in the army. The young samurai of the required age 
were also admitted into army and navy. French offi- 
cers were engaged to establish a modern army, and 
British officers to form a modern navy. Such of the 
samurai class as gave evidence of ability, were speedily 
promoted to be officers, and attention was given to the 
influence of their families in the clan. By these means 
an effective army, loyal to the Tenno alone, was speedily 
established. 

Schools were opened and instructors were engaged 
abroad, and the great mass of samurai, too old to learn 
the new system and discipline of the army, gave ample 
evidence that they were still the leading power in 
Japan, by the earnestness with which they applied 
themselves to the study of foreign languages and 
books. The efforts of these men were often pathetic, — 
never ridiculous. They wanted to learn, and they would 
study indiscriminately any book that came into their 
hands, with a patience and assiduity that demanded re- 
spect. 

The same was the case with young samurai boys. 
Teachers marveled that there was no occasion to keep 
order. These lads went to school for no other purpose 
than to learn, and so long as they felt that they were 



250 

making progress, they were satisfied with their teacher. 
But woe to the teacher who did not understand his 
business ! The entire class would walk out and simply 
declare to the authorities that they did not want to 
study under him. And the discharge of the teacher 
followed at short notice. 

It was natural that the laws and regulations issued 
by the government should be largely experimental. 
The aim was simple enough : Japan must be made 
great and powerful, and this, the real purpose, must be 
kept hidden from the foreigners. But these experi- 
ments, although frequently expensive and annoying, 
brought experience, which was further increased when 
a number of influential and sagacious men were sent 
around the world, to investigate and report upon the 
laws, customs, and institutions of Europe and America, 
so that the wheat might be separated from the chaff, 
and Japan import only such customs and laws as would 
promote the object in view. 

Young men of j5romise were provided with the means 
to go abroad for the purpose of acquiring such knowl- 
edge as would be of advantage to Japan. You may 
have met some of these Japanese students. Did you 
ever know one who was not an earnest worker, who 
did not accomplish the purpose for which he was sent } 
Books on all subjects and from all modern languages 
were translated into Japanese, and eagerly read by 
these men, who were all actuated by the same impulse : 
to be able to serve their country. 

Foreigners might laugh, and deeply the Japanese 
samurai felt the insult — for they are acutely sensitive 



251 

to ridicule — when the government proceeded to order 
our fashion of dress adopted by the nobles and the offi- 
cial class. The topknot had been sacrificed before this, 
but the Japanese gentlemen, accustomed to the freedom 
of movements which the native clothing permits, felt 
uncomfortable in our close-fitting suits, which rendered 
them awkward. However, the Tenn6 himself appeared 
in public in the uniform of a general, and it was evi- 
dent that, for the army and navy, at least, our fashion 
of dress had the advantage. But these experiments, no 
matter how trivial in themselves, all had the same pur- 
pose in view. 



SAIGO TAKAMORI 

YOU must not suppose that, among the four hundred 
thousand members of the samurai class, there 
were not some who disapproved of the acts of the 
new government. The worthless ones, — and they are 
to be found among all classes of society, — had in- 
deed been weeded out, but of those who had kept to 
their caste, although all were impelled by love of their 
country, there were quite a number who honestly 
thought that the Tenno's advisers were bringing the 
country to rack and ruin. Some of the councilors 
who had resigned were very bitter against their former 
friends; and several of them, as for instance Eto 
Shimpei (ay-toh sheem-pay), raised the standard of rebel- 
lion. But enough of the clans remained loyal, in those 
early days, to maintain the authority of the govern- 
ment, and when more serious trouble occurred after- 
wards, the government was provided with a loyal army 
and navy, and a single clan could not hope to cope 
with a united Japan. 

Although the most progressive of the Tenn6*s 
advisers, Okubo, was a Satsuma man, that powerful 
and warlike clan was among the most dissatisfied, and 
the government was afraid to invoke strong measures 

252 , 



253 

When the departments were abolished, and the dif- 
ferent provinces were administered by officers sent 
from Tokyo, and the helpless daimio were ordered to 
retire into private life as kazoku or nobles, the clan of 
Satsuma alone was permitted to administer its own 
affairs. Shimadzu Saburo (shee-mad-zoo sah-boo-roh), 
the acting and real daimio, had withdrawn in high 
dudgeon to his seat at Kagoshima, and it required 
a personal letter from the Tenno, added to the persua- 
sion of a high court noble, Iwakura, to induce him to 
visit Tokyo. 

He protested against everything that he could not 
understand. " Why cut off the topknot ? Why dis- 
card the Japanese dress .-^ Why ape these foreigners 
in everything.? Is this the country of the gods or 
not } " Such were some of the questions asked by 
him; and although the government offered him high 
and influential positions, he refused the bait, and 
sturdily declined to follow the prevailing fashion, but 
continued to show himself in topknot, Japanese dress, 
and the inevitable two swords. Staunch old Shimadzu 
thought that he was representing the samurai class ; in- 
deed, he did represent a part of them, and his clansmen 
deeply sympathized with him, and were intensely loyal. 

Among these clansmen, none had more influence 
than Saigo Takamori. He was the ideal samurai. Of 
extraordinary height for a Japanese, — he stood over 
six feet, and the Japanese are of very small stature, — 
he was of corresponding strength and excelled in all 
the warlike exercises for which the Satsuma men were 
famous. He was, besides, very courteous and kind, 



254 

and withal remarkably brave. You have read how he 
was banished by the Tokugawa government in the 
expiring days of the Yedo rule, and how he was made 




Scene from Taigo Sakamori's life 

commander in chief of the imperial forces under Prince 
Arisugawa. He brought the civil war to a close, and 
was rewarded with a pension for life. This he refused 
to accept, stating modestly that he had done only his 



255 

duty; but he was compelled to receive it by special 
orders from the Tenno himself. 

We have seen how, as member of the council, Saigo 
advised war with Korea. In this he acted on behalf 
of those samurai who, like himself, too old to learn 
new methods or to acquire new tactics, were thrown 
out of all prospect of honorable employment. When 
he found his advice rejected, he resigned and with- 
drew to Kagoshima, where, with the pension received 
from the government, he established and maintained 
military schools, to which a number of dissatisfied 
samurai from all parts of Japan flocked. Here they 
were instructed in the tactics of arms, and especially 
in the use of that deadly weapon, the old Japanese 
sword. 

The government was, of course, perfectly aware of 
what was going on, and it was an anxious time when 
Eto Shimpei revolted. But Saigo remained neutral, and 
the government began to hope that patriotism would 
prevail, and that Satsuma would submit at last. Sev- 
eral years passed by, and the railroad to Kyoto was 
finished in 1878. It had been decided to celebrate this 
event, and the Tenno himself was to visit the capital of 
his ancestors, together with the ministers. This pro- 
gramme was carried out. Kyoto was in festive array, 
and everything was ready, when the news came that 
Satsuma had raised the standard of rebellion and that 
Saigo had seized the arsenal at Kagoshima, and was 
with a large force of samurai on his march through 
Kiushiu. 

The reports were true. To disguise the danger of 



256 

the situation, the railroad was opened with the ap- 
pointed ceremonies, but the perturbed ministers de- 
cided to make Kyoto the temporary headquarters of 
the emperor. The government feared what Saigo's 




Japanese street scene 

advisers had counted upon — that the dissatisfied sam- 
urai of other clans would create serious disturbances 
elsewhere, and it is more than probable that at this 
time promises and concessions were made, whereby 



257 

they were assured that henceforward the samurai 
alone should occupy official positions. But although 
seriously disturbed, and naturally anxious, the minis- 
ters made excellent use of the modern inventions and 
improvements introduced by them. The telegraph 
carried orders with lightning speed. Steamships were 
chartered or purchased, and Saigo's old commander in 
chief. Prince Arisugawa, was placed in command. 

It is very doubtful to me, who knew Saigo well, 
whether that brave man ever intended to rebel. It is 
far more probable that his advisers had deceived him 
into taking up arms. It has, indeed, been proved that 
a man of humble position was arrested in Kagoshima, 
who, under torture, was made to confess that he had 
been sent by the Tenno's ministers to assassinate the 
Satsuma leader. 

Whether Saigo believed this absurd story or not, the 
other leaders of the clan thought that the moment for 
action had arrived, and the old samurai spirit of loyalty 
to the clan impelled Saigo to place himself at its head. 
Addresses were prepared in which it was stated that 
the clan did not make war upon the emperor, but upon 
his advisers, who were ruining the country by the re- 
forms which they had instituted. The imperial arsenal 
at Kagoshima, in charge of a Satsuma officer, was sur- 
rendered to the rebels without a blow, and if they had 
marched promptly, it is not improbable that Japan would 
have entered upon a reactionary career. 

The island of Kiushiu is very mountainous, and has 
many difficult passes. The leaders of the imperial 
army at once decided to surround the revolted province 

STO. OF JAPAN — 17 



258 

so as to prevent the rebellion from spreading and the 
insurgents from receiving aid or reenforcement. They 
succeeded, but only after many hard and desperate 
battles in which the old samurai spirit showed at its 
best, and the Japanese sword maintained its old repu- 
tation. The government was even compelled to organ- 
ize a band of swordsmen to cope with the expert Satsuma 
men. 

The clan seemed determined to fight to the death, 
and despair lent strength to the arms of the samurai, 
but they could not contend against the organized forces 
of the government. Kagoshima was taken, and the 
rebels were hemmed in. But Saigo with a small band 
of faithful men broke through the circle, recaptured 
Kagoshima, and fortified himself upon a steep hill 
beyond the town. Here he defended himself to the 
last, and when the hill was taken and the leader 
wounded, a friend performed the last service by cut- 
ting off his head. .When this gory trophy was brought 
to the general in command of the imperial forces, he 
reverently washed it, and had it decently buried. Thou- 
sands of samurai visit every year the tomb of one who, 
although he died a rebel, is considered the last of the 
old samurai of Old Japan. 



\ 



JAPAN'S PROGRESS 

THE rebellion was subdued, but at great expense. 
Fifty thousand valuable lives had been lost, and 
more than five hundred millions of dollars had been 
spent before this dangerous revolt was stamped out. 
And what had been taught by it ? Two lessons which 
the government must take to heart. The first was that 
the samurai, as a class, must remain the rulers of Japan, 
and the next was that such national customs as did 
not interfere with the progress and future greatness of 
their country, must not only be left untouched, but be 
fostered and encouraged. 

Okubo, who, by his energy, had conduced not a little 
to the defeat of Satsuma, was considered a traitor to his 
clan, and no one was astonished when he was attacked 
in his carriage in Tokyo, and assassinated, although many 
mourned his loss. This murder proved how desperate 
was the samurai spirit, and from this time all the offices 
were filled by members of this class, while a reaction 
commenced, under their leadership, tending toward the 
preservation of Japanese laws, habits, and customs, with- 
out hindrance to the improvement of army and navy, 
the building of railroads, and the developing of the 
resources of the country. 

259 ^ 



26o 

The kuge members of the cabinet or council had 
died or retired, and the government was actually in the 
possession of the samurai. But the most prominent of 
these who were not actually members of the cabinet, 
clamored for more influence. I have shown you the 
numerous good qualities of the samurai: the love for 
their country, their courage, and unselfishness. But 
while these characteristics are common to them, they 
have also another which is equally conspicuous, and 
that is conceit. A great many of them believe that 
they, and they alone, are able to rule the country ; and 
each one is impatient because he is not at once ap- 
pointed prime minister. 

Several newspapers had been established in Tokyo 
and elsewhere, and the samurai, who soon recognized 
the influence of public opinion, took good care that 
these papers came under their control. They now could, 
and did, clamor openly for more influence. "Why 
don't you establish a parliament, and give us a con- 
stitution .? " they asked. "His Majesty the Tenno " — 
mentioning the emperor with expressions of the great- 
est reverence — "was good enough to promise us this 
boon. It is you, the emperor's advisers, who prevent 
him. You are traitors to him and to your country." 

The ministers could, and did, suspend such papers, 
but others sprang up and repeated the complaint over 
and over aga:in. The ministers had the good sense 
not to be too sensitive to these remarks, and to decline 
handing the government over to these self-constituted 
critics. But a number of the samurai began at last to 
believe that they had a real grievance, and the govern- 



26l 

ment was compelled in 1880 to promise that a constitu- 
tion would be given and a parliament established within 
ten years from that time. The clamoring samurai had 
to be satisfied with this, but there were otTier ways in 
which to keep themselves prominently before their 
fellow-clansmen, and one of these was by the agitation 
of revision of the treaties. 

I have told you several times that the samurai rule 
the people of Japan in a just and humane manner, but 
in return they expect the deepest reverence and im- 
plicit obedience. Now when the first treaties were made, 
very little was known of the Japanese by foreigners. 
But the ministers of foreign nations did know that they 
had no written laws, that torture could be applied at the 
option of the judge, and that a certain number of blows 
was a mild and moderate punishment. Under these 
circumstances they refused, of course, to allow their 
fellow-citizens to be brought before native judges, and 
it was stated in the treaties that foreigners should be 
judged only according to their own laws and before the 
consuls appointed by their government. 

These treaties should have been revised in 1872; but 
although the Japanese had been at work to establish 
a code of written laws, the foreign ministers were not 
satisfied that their fellow-citizens would obtain justice, 
and the revision of the treaties was constantly post- 
poned. This roused the Japanese samurai to anger. 
"Why may we not judge those proud, arrogant foreign 
merchants, who imagine themselves as good if not bet- 
ter than a samurai ? " ' 

The government, although it appeared to exert itself 



262 

to the utmost, was not in reality anxious to have juris- 
diction over foreigners. It knew that in a case of a 
foreigner against a samurai, not a judge in Japan 
(where every judge belongs to the samurai class) would 
dare give a judgment in favor of the foreigner, and it 
knew also that foreign governments were in the habit 
of seeing their subjects protected in their rights. But 
the samurai as a class did not take this point of view. 
They wanted to be able to humble those proud foreign- 
ers, and to avenge themselves for the slights to which 
some of them had been exposed. 

Count Okuma (oh'-koo-mah), then prime minister, had 
a dynamite bomb thrown under him, which wounded 
him so severely as to render amputation of a leg nec- 
essary. 

These events show how much of our civilization had 
been acquired by the Japanese. Count Ito went to 
Europe to study the different constitutions, and when 
he returned he prepared one after the law of the Ger- 
man Empire. Japan was to have a Diet, as the German 
Congress is called, consisting of two houses, as does our 
own Congress. The House of Representatives was to 
be elected by the people, but the samurai would take 
good care that none but rnembers of their class should 
take a seat. This was not very difficult, for the people 
were really well pleased to attend to their own business 
and leave the duty of governing, that is, of making laws 
and executing them, to their old-time masters who had 
nothing else to do, and plenty of experience besides. 
The House of Lords, corresponding to our Senate, con- 
sisted of hereditary members such as princes of the 



263 

blood ; that is, princes related to the emperor and the 
highest kuge and daimio. 

The other nobles were elected by members of their 
own rank; but the emperor had the right to appoint 
members for special services. This and the fact that 
several samurai had received titles equal to - or even 
higher than their former lords, rendered it highly prob- 
able that the nobles would vote as the samurai decided. 
But to make this still more certain, they appointed 
members of their own class as stewards in the resi- 
dences of the kuge, daimio, and even of the imperial 
princes, who were to receive the salaries, pensions, or 
revenues of these nobles, and disburse them. They 
found cause for doing so in the fact that some nobles, 
unaccustomed to think or act for themselves, and never 
having been allowed to spend money, were found, upon 
receiving a more or less large sum, to commit extrava- 
gances promising speedy impoverishment. The nobles 
did not object any more than the common people ; and 
so these samurai could influence, if not control, the 
votes of their employers. 

The promised constitution was duly published in 
1889; the Tennd took the oath to his divine ancestors, 
and the Diet was opened with great festivities. The 
Houses met, and, for novices in parliamentary debate, 
did very well. Of course, the heat of discussion would 
sometimes lead to breaches of that politeness for which 
the Japanese samurai are celebrated ; but the odd 
spectacle was offered of an overwhelming majority 
in the opposition without its members being able 
to agree among themselves. This was owing to 



264 

the humble opinion hidden in each breast that the 
owner was the only man for the occasion, and that he, 
for the glory of Japan, should at once be appointed 
prime minister. 

The members of the cabinet were constantly attacked 
in the debate. For a long time the revision of the 
treaties was the apparent cause. But England signed 
the revised treaty in 1894; other nations did the same; 
and foreigners living in Japan will be placed under 
Japanese jurisdiction when the new treaties go into 
effect, that is, on July 16, 1899. 



WAR WITH CHINA 

IT was twenty-six years since 1868, when Japan's 
leading samurai had formed the plan to introduce 
reforms which would enable the Tenn6's realm to hold 
its own among the civilized nations of the earth. Had 
success crowned their efforts? Was this country in- 
deed able to brave any of the powers that had humili- 
ated it at Kagoshima and Shimonoseki? Had the 
longed-for time at last arrived when deeply resented 
insults could be wiped out and old scores paid off? 

You have seen how the refusal of Korea to receive 
the Tenno's ambassador had been resented by the more 
impatient samurai, and how the unwillingness of the 
government to take speedy revenge had led to serious 
revolts. A few years later, another effort had been made 
to enter into communication with the king of Korea, and 
again an insult had been offered. These slights, appar- 
ently passed over, had not been forgotten ; and when, 
in 1876, the Japanese had the opportunity to dispatch 
an armed force without alarming either Russia or Eng- 
land, they compelled the Koreans to enter into a treaty 
of friendship and commerce, and obtained the right to 
reside and trade in three seaports and in the capital, 
Soiil. 

265 



266 

In the opinion of the Japanese samurai, Korea was a 
dependency of Japan, owing to the conquest first under 
Empress Jingu and afterwards under the regent Hide- 
yoshi ; and it was therefore no wonder that the Japanese 
minister in Korea used his utmost endeavors to bring 
that peninsula under the rule of the Tenno. Serious 
disturbances took place twice, and the cause was easily 
traceable to Japanese intrigues. It was to counteract 
them that Li Hung Chang, the great Chinese states- 
man, advised the Korean king to enter into treaties 
with other nations; so that in 1882 Commodore Shu- 
feldt signed a treaty on behalf of the United States, and 
since that time Americans may reside and trade in that 
unhappy Land of the Morning Calm. England, France, 
Germany, and Russia made treaties similar to that with 
the United States. 

In 1884 a serious disturbance took place. The Jap- 
anese had made an agreement with a high Korean official, 
Kim ok Kyun (kyoon), to capture and carry off the king ; 
but the plot failed' and both the Japanese minister and 
the Korean, with his fellow-conspirators, fled to Japan. 
After that Kim ok Kyun lived in Japan, where he was 
supported for ten years by the Japanese. In March, 
1894, he was induced to come to Shanghai, where he 
was murdered by a Korean. The honor paid by China 
and Korea to the murderer made the Japanese furious. 

It must be stated here that there is no country on 
earth, not even China, that is so wretchedly governed 
as Korea. The officers seem to be appointed for the 
sole purpose of robbing and stealing. A Korean 
farmer, when his crop of rice is very bountiful, will 



267 

harvest only enough to support him and his family 
until the next season, and to have sufficient for seed. 
" Why should I harvest more ? " a Korean will say, 
" that the mandarins (officers) may come and rob me 
of it ? If they want that rice, let them go and cut it 
themselves." 

There had been a failure of the crop in a southern 
province of Korea, and several people, dissatisfied with 
the officers, had begun a small rebellion. These people 
called themselves reformers, and they robbed and plun- 
dered until the king sent some soldiers against them. 
But these soldiers accomplished nothing, and the rebels 
did as they pleased. 

The foreign ministers in Korea, with the exception of 
Mr. J. N. B. Sill, minister of the United States, Otori, 
minister of Japan, and Yuan (yoo-ahn), minister of China, 
were all absent on their vacation, when Yuan insisted 
that the king should ask the emperor of China for help 
to subdue the rebels. The king resisted for three 
weeks, but when the queen and her cousin Min, the 
prime minister, also begged him to do so, he submitted, 
and the request was sent. The Japanese kept them- 
selves well informed, and the fact was soon known to 
the Tokyo government. 

Japan had entered into a treaty with China, by which 
each agreed to send no troops into Korea without noti- 
fying the other power; and when Japan knew that 
China was preparing to dispatch a force, it was de- 
cided that now or never was the time to try the 
efficiency of army and navy, and at the same time to 
satisfy the war party of the samurai, and incidentally 



268 

to settle old scores with Korea. No better time could 
have been chosen. Neither Europe nor America ex- 
pected any disturbance, and no single power was pre- 
pared to interfere, while jealousy prevented the great 
powers of Europe from acting together. When at last 
China was ready to send troops, and notified Japan, 
the Japanese minister in Peking made a similar com- 
munication to the Chinese government. And so much 
dispatch had been used by the Japanese authorities 
that Otori (oh'-toh-ree) could boast that the Japanese 
troops had landed at the port of Soiil one hour before 
the first Chinese soldiers came ashore. 

And now the Japanese government, knowing that 
the die was cast, continued its preparations steadily, 
but as secretly as possible. The reserves of the army 
were called out, and the navy left for Korea, every man 
determined to do his duty. The Japanese then gave 
notice to the Chinese government not to send any more 
troops ; declaring that if it did so, the government would 
consider it an unfriendly act, in other words, it would 
mean war. 

The Chinese government had engaged several Eng- 
lish vessels to transport Chinese soldiers, and one of 
these, an English ship, the Kowshing^ was overtaken 
by a Japanese man-of-war, and ordered to follow her. 
The captain signaled that the Chinese prevented him 
from obeying, whereupon he was advised to jump over- 
board. The Japanese now fired upon the transport, 
and sunk her. 

This happened in July, 1894. The Japanese, in the 
meanwhile, had continued sending troops to Korea, until 



269 



there were about three thousand men in Soiil, while 
the Chinese had fortified themselves at Asan (ah-sahn), 
a port on the western coast of Korea. It was 
decided to drive out the Chinese troops, and Otori 
demanded of the king that he should order them to 
leave. The king replied mildly that he could not 
very well do so, since they had been ' sent at his 




Japanese landing troops 

request. But Otori knew how the Koreans detested 
the Japanese, so he decided to capture the king and 
keep him as a hostage, while the Japanese army left for 
the south. 

At four o'clock of the morning of July 23, 1894, the 
Japanese minister took the necessary measures. The 
city walls, near the palace, were occupied by his troops, 



2/0 

and a detachment marched to the principal gate of the 
palace. They first attempted to burn the gate, but 
when this failed, they scaled the wall with a ladder 
and opened the gate from the inside. They then 
entered the grounds and marched upon the palace. 
Here was the frightened Korean guard, and a shot was 
fired. Who fired it will probably never be known, 
but an engagement followed in which one Japanese and 
seventeen Koreans were killed, and several of each 
party were hurt. The Japanese occupied the palace 
and kept the king a prisoner in it. 

They were now ready to march upon Asan, and lost 
no time in doing so. Have you, my young friends, any 
idea of what a Chinese army is.? Try, if you can, to 
imagine soldiers going to war _ with umbrellas, to keep 
from getting wet if it should rain! And think of offi- 
cers who have studied tactics that say : " When you 
are in the presence of the enemy, put on hideous 
masks, and make horrible noises, so that they may be 
frightened." I hS-ve seen Chinese soldiers going to 
fight the Japanese, armed with bamboo poles, sharp- 
ened with tenpenny nails at the top. And I have 
seen others who when ready to fire off their guns, 
would close their eyes, and pull the trigger. These 
men were not regular soldiers at all ; they were cool- 
ies, hired for this war. Most of them were stalwart 
enough, and with plenty of drill, they could have been 
trained as soldiers ; untrained as they were, and led by 
cowardly and ignorant officers, what chance had they 
against the well-disciplined, drilled, and splendidly com- 
manded troops of Japan — a nation naturally warlike ? 



2/1 

The Japanese troops had come to fight, and went 
into battle wiUing to die for their Tenno and their 
country. The Chinese had been promised fifty taels 
(about ^37.50) for every Japanese head they brought 
to their general. So they wanted to cut off heads, but 
did not care about losing their own. In the battle near 
Asan, on July 29, 1894, the Japanese utterly routed the 




Chinese soldiers 



enemy. The Chinese dispersed ; the officers and gen- 
erals disguised themselves as coolies, and made their 
way north. 

China had sent reenforcements, and its troops then 
occupied a very strong position at Ping-yang, on the 
Tatung River. August passed by without further fight- 
ing, although war had been regularly declared on the 
first of that month. On the 14th of September, the 



2/2 

Japanese army, in command of Field Marshal Yama- 
gata (yah-mahng'-ah-tah), was opposite the enemy, and 
on the 15th and i6th a battle took place. The Manchu- 
rian cavalry, a body of five hundred men, made a charge, 
but that was all the fighting, so far as the Chinese were 
concerned. The Japanese took a steep hill at the point 
of the bayonet, and easily dislodged the Chinese. Ping- 
yang was taken, and Yamagata began his march north 
to the Yalu (yah-loo) River, which forms the boundary 
between China and Korea. 

This part of China is called Manchuria, and is the 
cradle of the present house of Chinese emperors. They 
were very sorry to see this province invaded, and pre- 
pared to send strong reenforcements to arrest the Japa- 
nese march. This led to the first and only naval 
battle of the war. While the Japanese fleet was scour- 
ing the Yellow Sea to intercept the enemy's transports, 
smoke was seen in the distance to the north. Steaming 
in that direction, Admiral Ito, in command of the Japa- 
nese fleet, discovered that it was the famous North 
China fleet, and that it had been conveying transports. 

The eager Japanese at once prepared for battle, and 
since their fleet hemmed the enemy in on the sea side, 
the Chinese were compelled to engage in a fight for 
which they had but little taste. They had, in reality, a 
stronger force than the Japanese, and their two battle 
ships alone, the Ting-yuen (teng-yoon) and the Cheng- 
yuen (cheng-yoon), ought to have defeated the less 
powerful Japanese fleet. But the weakness of the 
Tenno's vessels was more than counterbalanced by the 
patriotism, courage, and seamanship of the officers and 



273 

crew. Every man, from admiral to powder monkey, 
was eager for the fight, and firmly resolved to do his 
duty. The result was easy to foretell. The Chinese 
lost several vessels, and it was with difficulty that the 
pride of China's navy, the two battleships from which 
such great things had been expected, made their way 
back to Wei-hai-wei (way-hl-way). This battle made 
the Japanese masters of the Yellow Sea, and the great 
Chinese empire could send no more troops by water. 

Yamagata had little difficulty in forcing his way 
across the Yalu River, and started upon his long march 
to Peking. At this time, that is, in the beginning of 
November, a second army had left Japan, and, without 
meeting any obstruction, had landed at Ta-lien-wan 
(tah-lyen-wahng), a sheltered bay on the southeast coast 
of the Liao-tung (lee-ah-oh-tongue) peninsula. 

If you will take the map of Japan, and look at 
that large gulf called the Yellow Sea, yau will see 
a smaller body of water, the Gulf of Pechili (pech-ee- 
lee), to. the northwest of it. This is the key to Peking, 
the capital of China. On the north, this entrance was 
protected by the southern point of the Liao-tung penin- 
sula, known as Port Arthur. The ablest engineers had 
constructed the walls and forts, and the natural position 
was so strong that foreign military men had pronounced 
it impregnable. 

Right opposite the Liao-tung peninsula, on the south- 
ern coast of the Gulf of Pechili, is the Shan-tung (shahn- 
tongue) peninsula. West of its northeastern extremity 
is a small natural harbor, defended by steep islands 
in front. Here, too, the hand of man has aided th«; 



274 



forces of nature, and the result is a basin where, with 
the most ordinary precautions, a fleet may remain in 
complete security, and mock at the efforts of the boldest 
enemy. 

Japan had firmly decided to march upon Peking and 
to dictate there the terms of peace to the "Solitary 
Man," as the Chinese call their emperor. But to pre- 
vent being attacked in the rear, she wanted to capture 
both Port Arthur and Wei-hai-wei. As she could not 

hope to be able to 
I take Port Arthur by a 
front attack, she con- 
cluded to approach it 
from the land side, 
that is, from the rear. 
That is why Mar- 
shal Oyama (oh-yah- 
mah) had landed at 
Ta-lien-wan, and was 
now on the march against the strong fortress. 

' Escape by way of land was cut off to the Chinese 
braves (as the soldiers were called) defending the for- 
tress, and the presence of the Japanese fleet prevented 
their escape by sea. Now, driven in a corner, even 
Chinese soldiers will fight. But what could they do 
against the well-drilled and disciplined troops of Japan ? 
The officers commanding the Tenno's troops were old 
Satsuma or Choshiu samurai, who were now in their 
true element. Field Marshal Oyama was in supreme 
command, and General Yamaji (yah-mah-yee), the Blind 
Dragon, as he was affectionately called by his troops, 




Army flag 



275 

because he had but one eye, commanded the attack. 
Yamaji gained much honor by his coolness and su- 
preme indifference to danger. On November 21, the 
impregnable stronghold was captured, and the red sun 
on the white field floated over China's strongest fortress. 

Up to this time the Japanese had conducted the war 
most humanely, and had earned the well-deserved 
admiration of the whole civilized world. The discipline 
had been perfect. No blood had been shed wantonly ; 
peaceful inhabitants had been left undisturbed in life 
and property, and prisoners taken in battle had been 
kindly cared for. The wounded Chinese had received 
the same care and attention as was given to the 
wounded Japanese, and the severest critic could find 
no cause for reproach. 

How differently had the Chinese acted ! Wounded 
Japanese on a battlefield were eagerly sought, that they 
might be robbed of their clothing and valuables, and 
their heads were cut off for the sake of the promised 
reward. The cool and brave members of the Red 
Cross Society, when searching for the wounded, regard- 
less whether they were friends or enemies, had been fre- 
quently attacked by these Chinese monsters, and when 
taken prisoners had been mutilated and put to death 
A brave foreign naval officer, who was not in sympathy 
with Japan, told me that if American or European sol- 
diers had conducted this war, they would have laid 
waste the territory through which they passed, to teach 
the Chinese the lesson that such barbarous cruelty can 
not remain unpunished. 

When the Japanese entered Port Arthur and wit- 



2/6 

nessed there the horrible outrages committed upon their 
countrymen, they were filled with rage, and determined 
to retaliate. The whole population was put to the 
sword, the innocent suffering with the guilty; but the 
Chinese for once received a much-needed lesson. 

Through the inclement climate of Manchuria, in a 
desert of 'snow and ice, the first army corps continued 
slowly to advance. There was some doubt whether 
they would proceed to the northeast and capture Mouk- 
den (mook-den), the capital of Manchuria, or continue 
their way toward the Chinese capital. 

It was in the latter part of January, 1895, that the 
third army, placed in command of Field Marshal Oyama, 
left for the Shan-tung peninsula to capture Wei-hai-wei 
in conjunction with the fleet. Again the army landed 
without difficulty, some distance east of the doomed 
stronghold, and, dividing into three corps, advanced by 
rapid marches. The Chinese had sunk several junks, 
and further strengthened the defenses of the entrance 
to the basin containing their crippled fleet, by a strong 
chain. But little did the bold Japanese care. Torpedo 
boats succeeded in effecting an entrance, and one of 
them rammed one of the great battleships so that she 
sunk at her moorings. Fleet and fortress surrendered, 
and the Chinese admiral, knowing that he would be 
held responsible for the loss of the fleet, committed 
suicide. 

At last Niuchwang (nee-00-chwang) was reached and 
taken May 4. 

Meanwhile China had grown tired of the war. The 
Japanese had exposed the incapacity and corruption of 



277 

the Chinese government, and no foreign power showed 
any desire to come to its rescue. The Japanese were, 
naturally enough, elated over their victories, and the 
native press began to suggest that it was time to estab- 
lish a protectorate over the huge empire, and that the 
Japanese were the people to assume that duty. The 
Chinese began to express a wish to enter into negotia- 
tions for peace. But the Japanese declined receiving 




Emperor Mutsuhito reviewing his troops 



any one who was not provided with full authority to 
sign a treaty, and in the meanwhile continued their 
preparations to send a third army. 

The emperor had established his headquarters at 
Hiroshima (hee-ro-shee-mah), and had called a session 
of the Diet, to vote the necessary money to carry on 
the war. There was, of course, no opposition. Every 
member, every samurai, would gladly have given his last 



2/8 

penny and his life, had the glory of Japan demanded it. 
Even the people had taken the patriotic fever, and poor 
jinrikisha coolies would devote part of their scanty earn- 
ings to increase the war fund composed of voluntary 
contributions. 

China's old statesman, Li Hung Chang, was now 
called to Peking, and ordered to proceed to Japan, to 
make peace. Before leaving, he called on the foreign 
ministers and probably satisfied himself as to how much 
the Japanese would be allowed to demand. Through 
the United States minister in Tokyo, the Japanese 
government was informed of Li's arrival, and Shimo- 
noseki, Japan, was appointed as the place where the 
negotiations should be held. The Chinese government 
had engaged the services of Hon. John W. Foster of 
Washington, D.C., on account of his knowledge of 
international law. 

Li Hung Chang arrived in Japan and met our old 
friend, Ito, the prime minister, who was appointed by the 
Tenno to represeiit Japan. One day, as the Chinese 
minister was returning from the meeting, a young Japa- 
nese fired a small revcTlver at him. The bullet pene- 
trated above the eye. The murderer was taken prisoner, 
and upon examination it was found that he was not a 
samurai, but the son of a poor farmer, who had shown 
a worthless character from early youth. He had joined 
the soshi (soh-shee), — young vagabonds, too lazy to 
work, who openly sell their services to the highest bidder, 
to produce a riot, to commit murder, or any other lawless 
act. They are known to the government and to the 
police, and not only are they tolerated, but it seems 



279 

they even receive support. The only explanation that 
can be given is that their leaders are samurai, which 
would fully account for their immunity. The murderer 
was arraigned in court, and condemned to imprisonment 
for life. 

His victim recovered, and the peace negotiations 
were resumed. At last the two statesmen came to an 
agreement. By the terms of the treaty of Shimonoseki, 
signed on April 17, 1895, the independence of Korea 
was to be acknowledged, China was to give to Japan 
the island of Formosa, the Liao-tung peninsula, and 
other territory, besides paying an indemnity of two 
hundred million taels (about one hundred and forty- 
eight million dollars); so you see that her incapacity 
and corruption cost her very dear. But now Russia, 
France, and Germany interfered. The ministers of 
those countries gave Japan the friendly advice not to 
take the Liao-tung peninsula, which meant the same 
thing as saying : "You shall not do it! " The Japanese 
government understood it in that way; and knowing 
that it could not hope to fight those three countries 
with any chance of success, it submitted, agreeing to 
accept, instead, an additional indemnity of thirty million 
taels. 

You can easily understand how angry the Japanese, 
and especially the samurai, were when they heard of 
this interference. But they could do nothing but dis- 
guise their feelings, and continue their preparations 
until at last they might be able to retaliate on all the 
nations that had thwarted or insulted them. 



MUTSUHITO, EMPEROR OF JAPAN 

ON November 3, 1852, while Commodore Perry^was 
making preparations to sail for Japan, the late 
emperor, Mutsuhito, was born, in the old Tenno palace 
in Kyoto. His father. Emperor Komei, had lived, as 
had the descendants of the sun goddess for so many 
hundreds of years, in absolute seclusion from the world, 

seeing only the faces 
of the members of 
his immediate house- 
hold, who prostrated 
themselves in the 
dust whenever they 
approached their 
august sovereign. 
Within the palace he 
Imperial Flag reigned supreme; and 

it is more than probable that he imagined that his will 
was law throughout the empire. But the regents were 
masters of Japan, and at the time of Mutsuhito's birth 
there seemed very little likehhood that the heir to the 
throne would be more than a shadow ruler. 

He was taught to read and write Chinese as well as 
Japanese characters? to reverence the gods, his ances- 

280 




28l 

tors, and above all, his father, as their living representa- 
tive ; he learned, from earliest youth, to behave himself 
with the dignity due to his birth, and to act upon the 
suggestions of such of his attendants as by birth and 
rank were entitled to offer them. 

He had absolutely no amusements. He did not know 
what the words "playmate" and "toy" meant. To the 
Japanese boy, from samurai up to Tenno, there exists no 
such thing as play or fun. Life to him is a sober 
existence revolving around one center, — duty. 

The seeds of revolution planted during the two 
hundred and fifty years of peace under the descendants 
of lyeyasu had begun to sprout. Perry's arrival acted 
like a warm rain after a prolonged drought, and signs 
appeared everywhere that the harvest was at hand. 
Did those hermits within the palace walls note the 
signs of the times, or were they too august to be in- 
formed that their dwelling was guarded more jealously 
than ever, that armed samurai, trusted councilors of 
powerful clans, were hiding in the old capital, and that 
the Yamato Damashii was abroad, looking toward the 
descendant of the gods, and imploring help from him ? 

I do not think it likely that Emperor Komei knew 
anything of what was going on ; but in all probability 
the boy Mutsuhito was kept pretty well informed. His 
attendants, while he was still heir apparent, could and 
would talk before him, and the lessons thus gained 
were a good preparation for his future career. 

We have seen that Emperor Komei died early in 
1867, and the boy, not yet fifteen years old, ascended 
the throne amid the struggles of a civil war. His 



282 

actions were, of course, determined upon by the kuge 
in conjunction with the leading samurai of the allied 
clans. This council communicated its decisions to the 
imperial princes or miya, who, in their turn, imparted 
them to the Tenno. Thus, it was decided that he 
should personally receive the foreign ministers, that 
he should marry the present empress, a daughter of the 
house of Ichijo (ee-chee-joh), and that he should leave 
Kyoto and take up his residence in Yedo, thereafter 
to be called Tokyo, or eastern capital. 

From his education, the boy emperor had acquired 
two valuable qualities : obedience to the suggestions of 
trusty councilors, and that quiet submission to duty 
which is the foundation of character in any boy. 

He was the first of his race — since more than a thou- 
sand years ago his ancestors had withdrawn from active 
life — to show himself freely to his people. He dis- 
carded in public the old national dress, and in his 
official life conforms to the customs and manners of 
a foreign court, although within the privacy of his own 
apartments, he prefers the dress and food of his youth. 

But what an era does his reign present to his people ! 
Well may it be called J/^2;V(may-jee), Enlightened Prog- 
ress. Under his reign the palpable differences of 
caste have disappeared. No more daimio or kuge with 
their mediaeval privileges ! No more attacks on harm- 
less merchants by playful samurai bent upon testing the 
metal of their swords. No more eta (ay-tah), outcasts of 
society, but equality of all before the law, with a slight 
reservation in favor of the samurai, or " official class " ! 

And with these changes, wealth and prosperity have 



283 

come to the people. The intercourse with other nations 
has brought new industries. When the Tenno first 
entered Yedo, he spent twelve days on the fatiguing 
journey from the old imperial city. Now the iron 
horse brings him there in less than twenty-four hours. 
More than three thousand miles of railroad have been 
built with Japanese capital and enterprise, and as many 
more are in the course of construction. The telegraph 




Winding silk from cocoons 



conveys the emperor's commands to the farthest corner 
of his empire ; telephone and electric lights testify to 
Japan's ability to appreciate the inventions of this age. 

Factories have been built and furnish labor to tens 
of thousands of workmen, while wages have risen 
and savings increase. And Japan's army and navy, 
too, — her greatest pride — have kept pace with the 
progress of the times, and have compelled respect 



284 

from abroad. Japan has taken her place as one of the 
great powers of the earth. Her flag begins to be known 
on the seas. Her merchant vessels are seen in Europe, 
Australia, and on the coast of America, as well as in 
the eastern parts of the Pacific. Her scholars com- 
pete with those of western universities. 




National Flag 



THE RISE OF MIKADOISM^ 

TN its earlier relations with the Western Powers, and 
■*• indeed, ever since the enforced opening of the door to 
foreign nations, the Japanese government was hampered 
by a clause in her treaties with the Powers. This clause 
denied to the courts of Japan the right to arrest or 
punish criminals or other violators of the law who 
claimed to be citizens of other countries. All intelligent 
Japanese felt humiliated by this restriction of their rights, 
and many attempts were made to modify or remove it. 
The dissatisfaction grew and became so great that an 
attempt was made to assassinate Marquis Okuma, 
the minister of foreign affairs, for permitting aliens to 
sit on a jury convened to make a revision of the laws. 

It was not until after the fall of the Tokugawa Shogun- 
ate and the establishment of a new government, that this 
objectionable point was removed from the treaties 
and Japan gained her complete independence. Then 
it was that the Japanese people began to feel for the 
first time that they were in reality an independent nation 
on terms of equality with the rest of the world. 

Among the European nations, England had hitherto 
been the most exacting and stubborn, blocking the way 
to any satisfactory agreement with Japan. But after 

iThe facts contained in this chapter and the two following were 
furnished by Mr. Riusaku Tsunoda. 

285 



286 

the successful war with China (1894) her attitude 
changed, and she became thenceforward Japan's firm 
friend and foremost ally. 

Political independence having been attained, its 
influence was augmented by what may be called in- 
tellectual independence. As a matter of historical 
fact, Japan had been under the influence of Chinese 
learning and culture for more than 1500 years. Never- 
theless, it is quite true that the Japanese had long 
looked down upon the Chinese with a sort of defiant 
contempt. Although, both in military and political 
affairs, they had more than once proved themselves 
superior to their continental neighbors, yet the Japanese 
people had never shown the least sign of separating 
themselves from the intellectual domination of the 
Chinese. 

Under the Tokugawa Shogunate, the study of certain 
Chinese philosophers was officially required of the 
samurai, even at the expense of neglecting the study of 
other schools of writers. The introduction of Western 
science, following the ''open door," had much to do in 
diverting the Japanese scholars from their devotion to 
Chinese modes of thought. The great teacher, Yukichi 
Fukuzawa, often and justly called the ''Benjamin 
Franklin of Japan," went so far as to denounce the study 
of the Chinese classics as being the means of bringing 
the country into inevitable decline and decay. 

Nevertheless, to the majority of Japanese scholars 
and thinkers, the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, 
together with the philosophical systems of Chu Hsi 
and Wang Yang Ming, had a spell and sway, both moral 



287 

and spiritual, which was hard to suppress or surpass. 
It was to these teachings that Japan's greatest modern 
statesmen, as Saigo, Okubo, and Kido, looked for 
guidance and inspiration while piloting the ship of state 
through the reconstruction period following the fall of 
feudalism. 

The triumphant conclusion of the Chinese war' helped 
the thinkers of Japan to rid themselves of whatever 
hold the Chinese classic masters still had upon their 
hitherto too self-conscious minds. For the first time 




© BROWN BROTHERS 

Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken 



in their intellectual history, they began to breathe 
freely, began to feel that they were superior in spiritual 
matters no less than in military art and prowess. The 
spirit of history began to be heard, and the rule of 



288 

ancient times, when there was no Chinese influence to 
be traced, was recalled as the beginnings of the national 
cult. The stories of the gods, the demi-gods, and the 
early emperors, which were recorded in the Kojiki/ were 
called to memory and given a new interpretation — an 
interpretation in the light of divine authority, tending 
to mold the national mind. Stories of loyal and self- 
sacrificing acts of the samurai in the Japanese Middle 
Ages, with their romantic background, were elaborated 
into a system of teaching which emphasized absolute 
loyalty and encouraged unstinted patriotism. This new 
consciousness of national importance is best illustrated 
in the Edict on Education, issued in the name of Em- 
peror Meiji (whose personal name was Mutsuhito) 
in 1890. Although published before the war, its true 
significance was not fully realized until the national 
sentiment was stirred up by the Russian menace, ten 
years later. The edict, as officially translated into 
English, reads as follows: 

Know ye, Our Subjects^ 

Our Imperial Ancestors have founded Our Empire on a 
basis broad and everlasting, and have deeply and firmly implanted 
virtue. Our subjects, ever united in loyalty and filial piety, 
have from generation to generation illustrated the beauty thereof. 
This is the glory of the fundamental character of Our Empire, 
and therein also lies the source of our education. Do ye. Our 
subjects, be obedient to your parents, and affectionate to your 
brothers and sisters; as husbands and wives, be harmonious, as 
friends, be true; bear yourselves in modesty and moderation; 
extend your benevolence to all; pursue learning, and cultivate 
arts, and thereby develop intellectual faculties and perfect moral 
^Ancient chronicle. 



289 

powers; furthermore, advance public good and promote common 
interests; always respect the Constitution and observe the laws; 
should emergency arise, offer yourselves courageously to the 
State; and thus guard and maintain the prosperity of Our Imperial 
throne coeval with heaven and earth. So shall ye not only be 
Our good and faithful subjects, but render illustrious the best 
traditions of your forefathers. 

The way here set forth is indeed the teaching bequeathed 
by Our Imperial Ancestors, to be observed alike by their de- 
scendants and the subjects, infallible for all ages and true in all 
places. It is Our wish to lay it to heart in all reverence, in common 
with you, Our subjects, that we may all attain to the same virtue. 

The 30th day of the 10th month of the 23d year of Meiji. 

(The 30th of October, 1890.) 
(Imperial Sign Manual. Imperial Seal) 

This Edict was printed in the form of a scriptural roll 
and together with the picture of the Emperor and 
Empress was distributed to every public^school through- 
out the country, to be recited with great solemnity on 
the days of national festivals. Its text, printed on the 
first page of a textbook of morals, is treated by school- 
masters like the readings from the Holy Bible. 

The cult of Mikado-worship being thus launched, 
every thought and every action of every citizen was 
required to conform to the professed creed of loyalty 
and filial piety. This was further emphasized by another 
edict to the army. 

To the faithful followers of Mikadoism, the Japanese 
nation is comparable to the solar system — all the people 
revolving around the Emperor as the common center of 
devotion, just as the planets circle around the sun. 
The Mikado is the spirit of history incarnate, the 

Sto. of Japan — 19. 



290 

embodiment of all the highest in mind and the dearest 
in heart. 

An Emperor is jiist as mortal as any other human 
being; but it is taught that when he passes away, 
another of his blood will take his place, so there will be 
no end to his reign. Since this is true, it follows that 
the devotion of the people to their ruler ought to be 
absolute. Everything in the world is his; even life itself 
is made possible by his all-embracing benevolence. 
Hence it follows that all that the people deem their own 
is his; even their lives belong to the Emperor. Every 
speech, every thought, every action, must therefore 
be guided and regulated by a single aim — the service and 
glorification of the Emperor. Life and death, all for 
him, is the national motto of the people. 

From the Christian point of view, this cult of Mikado- 
worship may be regarded as a kind of idolatry, or the 
medieval doctrine of Divine Right in oriental disguise. 
Its effect on the people was a single-hearted devotion 
to the Mikado, for whom the men of Japan went out to 
combat the Russian menace in Korea and Manchuria, 
and as history relates were everywhere victorious. 

The Russo-Japanese war is interesting in more than 
one way. It was the fight of a stripling David against a 
giant Goliath, a struggle between a little island empire 
of dots and strips of land against the Colossus of the 
North, whose territory covered one third of the entire 
Old World. It is doubtful whether the Lilliputian king- 
dom of the East would have been victorious without the 
aid, financial and moral, of the United States and 
England. Public opinion throughout most of the world 



291 

was at that time strongly against Russia, because of her 
attitude towards the weaker nations of the East, and 
particularly towards China and Korea. In disregard of 
the declaration that the territorial integrity of the 
Chinese empire should be maintained, the Russian gov- 
ernment never ceased to put forward her aggressive 
policy of securing an unfrozen outlet through the Yellow 
Sea. After the conclusion of peace between Japan and 
China (1894), Russia, by a successful diplomatic 
maneuver, acquired control of the .Liao-tung Peninsula, 
constructing military railways there, and fortifying Port 
Arthur in order to make it her naval base. This was 
more than Japan could bear. To add insult to injury, 
Russia tried to carry out her long-planned policy of 
Eastern domination, by playing "the card under the 
table" with the Korean government, and thereby 
succeeded in securing the privilege of starting a coaling 
station for her exclusive use on one of the southern 
islands of Korea. It was then that Japan saw the mailed 
fist right under her eyes, and the whole nation, with one 
mind and heart, sprang to arms. 

The Russo-Japanese war, one of the greatest wars 
in the history of the world, was a war of great sig- 
nificance in the affairs of modern nations. So far as the 
Japanese people were concerned, it was Mikadoism 
that won the day. About 200,000 men were at the front 
and on the sea, in readiness to repel the attack of the 
Northern Eagle. There was fighting in Korea, in 
northern China, and in Manchuria,. Sea battles also 
were waged on Chinese and Korean waters, and the final 



292 

catastrophe to Russia came in the defeat and destruction 
of her fleet on the Sea of Japan. 

In this war the Japanese lost, in killed and wounded, 
about 150,000 men. The most remarkable fact about 
this was that the number of deaths from disease was 
less than in any previous war equally extensive. The 




© BROWN BROTHERS 

General Nogi 

medical service of both armies, and especially of the 
Japanese, showed marked progress in organization and 
effectiveness. Another remarkable fact in this con- 
nection was the v^ry small number who surrendered 
or were taken prisoners. This is accounted for when 



293 

we remember that the lives of Japan's soldiers, as of all 
her people, are not theirs, but are the Emperor's, and 
they themselves have no right, under any circumstances, 
to surrender their lives to others. A soldier's service 
to his emperor is limited only by death. 

A tragic story is told of the late General Nogi, com- 
mander-in-chief of the Third Imperial Corps that under- 
took the siege of Port Arthur. To besiege and capture 
a strong fortress was a new experience for the Japanese 
army and it was not until after many disastrous en- 
counters that the Russian garrison was forced to 
surrender. Thirty thousand men, it is said, were rushed 
to the front only to be annihilated. General Nogi had 
two sons under his command, both young officers of 
the rank respectively of major and lieutenant. Without 
hesitation, he sent them, one after the other, to give their 
lives for the Emperor. 

When, finally, this hero of nation-wide fame came 
home at the head of the triumphal procession, the only 
one of his family to greet him was his heart-brokep wife. 
The war had brought him glory but had left him without 
an heir. He had returned to the Emperor only that 
which belonged to him. 

In 191 2, when Emperor Meiji breathed his last, 
General Nogi with his wife committed hara-kiri, saying 
that he would follow his divine master, to serve him 
in the life to come. Such was the faith of Mikadoism 
and of the Japanese people, and it was through this faith 
that the war against Russia was won. 



THE ANGLO- JAPANESE ALLIANCE 

AS already stated, much of the success of Japan in 
'**' her struggle with Russia was due to the assistance 
rendered her by England and the United States. There 
was a great difference, however, in the motives which 
prompted these two nations to come to the rescue of 
Japan. 

England had entered into an alliance with Japan 
some time before the beginning of the war. She was 
therefore under obligations to do everything possible 
short of actually entering into war against Russia. 
But the United States was, and continued to be a dis- 
interested neutral* so far as the government was con- 
cerned. 

The mediation of President Roosevelt, which resulted 
in the Peace of Portsmouth by which the two warring 
nations were brought together, was prompted by the 
spirit of a "fair deal." The hands of the United States 
were free and clean, and the help which she rendered 
in this crisis was in the interests of the world at large. 
The Japanese were so grateful for the friendly attitude 
of both countries throughout the war that the renewed 
Anglo- Japanese Alliance came to be the permanent basis 
on which the international policy of Japan was founded; 

294 



295 

and this was further strengthened by the maintenance of 
cordial, friendly relations with the United States. 

According to the articles of agreement in the Treaty 
of Portsmouth, complete and permanent cession to 
the Emperor of Japan was made of all rights of sover- 
eignty over the whole of Korea. The Imperial House- 
hold of Korea became a part of the Imperial Household 
of Japan, and the Japanese government assumed the 
entire responsibility of protecting the persons and 
property of the Koreans. Besides this absolute control 
of the Hermit Kingdom, Japan was awarded the leases, 
concessions, and other privileges which the Russians 
had secured from the Chinese in Manchuria, northern 
China, and the Liao-tung Peninsula. Thus, by one 
successful stroke, Japan not only overcame the Russian 
menace, but extended her sphere of influence to the very 
center of Siberia. 

These rapid changes in influence and power resulted 
in inflaming the sense of national importance, born 
with the victorious war. Even by other nations, 
Japan came to be rated as one of the five great powers of 
the world. Her standing army consisted of more than a 
million men, well trained, well equipped, and successfully 
tested in the preceding wars. Her navy was also her 
pride. Thus on land and sea, she felt confident that 
no single power, so far as the East was concerned, 
could successfully challenge her prestige. 

But the true greatness of a nation is not so much 
in the strength of her army and navy as in her system of 
education and industry. Japan, at the close of the 
Russo-Japanese war, had no merchant marine worth 



296 

boasting about. A railroad running parallel with the 
central mountain range was but just completed. Public 
utihties, such as trolley car lines, waterways, and 
sewerage, were of the poorest kind. 

More than all else, there was such a scarcity of 
educational institutions that nine tenths of the appli- 
cants for admission into colleges and universities were 
turned away for lack of room. Military expenditures 
absorbed all the resources of the nation. 

The statistics of foreign imports and exports, during 
the ten years following the Russo-Japanese war, show 
that there was a progressive increase of the former over 
the latter. Besides this, the foreign debts incurred by 
Japan during the war were enormous. The people 
grew more and more restless, and bankruptcy was 
predicted if the government remained in the control 
of the militarists. This restlessness took the form of a 
gloomy foreboding for the country's future when, in 
191 2, Emperor Meiji passed away, to be followed, a 
year later, by the Empress Shoken. Then it was that the 
pillar of Mikadoism fell. 



THE TAISHO (GREAT RIGHTEOUSNESS) ERA 

It was in the midst of this gloomy foreboding that the 
f reign of Taisho was inaugurated by Yoshihito who 
was enthroned in 191 2. According to the official 
interpretation, the Constitution of Japan was not the 
outcome of an agreement as to the fundamentals of the 
government — an agreement between the ruler and ruled, 
as in England. On the contrary it was a system of 
concessions made by the Emperor of his own free will 
to his subjects. The cabinet is responsible only to the 
Mikado, and not to the parliament. The single will 
of the Emperor always prevails, and the voice of the 
people is of no legal force. Even the majority in the 
legislature, when differing in opinion with the executive, 
are obliged to acquiesce promptly in the desires of the 
one man. 

In the latter part of the reign of Meiji, the govern- 
ment was in the hands, except in name, of a few elderly 
statesmen called '' Genro," among them being Prince Ito, 
Marshal Yamagata, and Marquis Matsukata — these 
being fortunate enough to secure the confidence of the 
Emperor. This state of affairs, however, became 
intolerable in the Taisho Era as the newly awakened 
political consciousness began to assert itself. 

297 



298 

Soon after the restoration of 1868, Yukichi Fukuzawa, 
already alluded to as the Benjamin Franklin of Japan, 
established a school of collegiate grade at Mita, Tokyo. 
He was one of the few who had traveled in the United 
States, where he imbibed many American ideas concern- 
ing education. Above every other idea, he taught that 
all men are born equal; that they are the makers of 
their own destiny; that feudalism and the rule of the 
samurai have passed away forever; that the new epoch 
which has just begun marks the triumph of science, 
industry, and commerce; that the independent mind 
must be equipped with a knowledge of these things; 
and that in a democracy, the master of the big business 
is more powerful than kings and bureaucrats. Soon 
his school grew to such proportions that it sent out more 
than a hundred graduates every year. These young 
men were inspired with a burning ambition to accom- 
plish something independently beyond the limits of a 
bureaucratic government. They learned to despise 
vassals and retainers; and many of them became 
prominent as leaders in the world of trade and finance. 
They increased rapidly in number and in power, and 
at the beginning of the Taisho Era their alumni associa- 
tion had more than 10,000 members. Needless to say, 
they were democrats in their political tenets, and their 
influence in governmental as well as business circles 
soon began to make itself felt. 

There was another great statesman of the new Japan. 
He was the political rival of Prince Ito and Marshal 
Yamagata. Being expelled from the government by 
the intrigues of his opponent, he organized an opposing 



299 



party, known as the Progressives, after the manner of 
the Liberal Party in England. His political methods 
were of the Anglo-Saxon type. Vigorous and outspoken 
to a degree unusual with Japanese, he never ceased to 
attack the government, characterizing sonie of the 
elderly statesmen as ''bad imitators of Prussianism." 
This man was the Marquis Okuma, whose name will 
long be remembered 
as one of the makers 
of Japan. 

Being aware that 
his opponents were 
playing politics 
through the public 
institutions of learn- 
ing, Okuma proceeded 
to establish a uni- 
versity of his own. 
This Waseda Univer- 
sity, as it was called, 
was chartered as early 
as 1873, and soon 
became known as one 
of the three academic 
centers of the empire. 
Within less than forty years it has had more than 40,000 
graduates, and the annual enrollment of students is 
from 7,000 to 10,000. These youths were fired with 
the antagonistic spirit of the founder, and went forth 
to conduct the campaign for a government by the 
people through the parliament. 




© B ROWN E ROTH ERS 

Marquis Okuma 



300 

Until the late nineties, the newspapers as the organs 
of public opinion, scarcely existed in Japan. The two 
great wars, however, contributed largely to the rapid 
and enormous development of this "Fourth Estate" in 
the empire. Before the year 1900, no fewer than 200 
different local and national newspapers were in existence 
and enjoying prosperity. 

A system of compulsory education was adopted in 
1890, and at the beginning of the Taisho Era, it was 
reported that no fewer than 11,000,000 families in 




(£) BROWN BROTHERS 

General Green, Waseda University 



Japan were reading and being benefited by the daily 
newspapers. 

In 1914, at the outbreak of the great war which in- 
volved most of the nations of the world, the terms of the 
Anglo- Japanese alliance placed Japan under obligations 
to fight with the Allies. In sending out her ultimatum- 
to the German government Japan had her own grievances 
to redress; for it was Germany that had interfered 
at the close of the Chino-Japanese war and endeavored 



to snatch the spoils of victory; it was Germany also that, 
a few years later, had occupied Kiaochow and begun 
the fortification of Tsing Tau in direct opposition to the 
interests of the Japanese government. War with Ger- 
many was therefore declared, August 23, 1914; and 
after a siege of two months, the German fortress of 
Tsing Tau was surrendered to the superior forces of 
Japan. 

Once launched upon a career of conquest, the Japanese 
people began to dream of further victories. The 
European powers were engaged in a life and death 
struggle, and were unable to pay much attention to 
what was going on in the Far East. China, with her 
inexhaustible resources, lay at the mercy of Japan, 
apparently helpless. Urged by the militarists who were 
then in power, the government adopted a policy of con- 
tinental aggrandizement, and succeeded in inducing 
the Okuma ministry to press upon the Chinese govern- 
ment twenty-one articles of agreement, the terms of 
which were almost intolerable. They went still farther 
when they sent a force to Saghalien, to occupy that 
strategic point, when that part of the Russian dominion 
was left in a state of anarchy by the collapse of the 
Czar's government in 19 18. 

Fortunately for Japan and the peace of the world, the 
militaristic regime was short-lived. At the Peace Con- 
ference held in Paris at the close of the World War, 
the Japanese government was represented, not by any 
military clique, but by the late premier, Takashi Hara, 
the leader and representative of the Constitutional 
party. The dreams of Japan are no longer of world- 



302 



conquest and military power, but of industrial advance- 
ment and of peace and good will among the other nations 

of the world. 

When the Conference 
for the Limitation of 
Armament was sum- 
moned by President 
Harding to meet in 
Washington in Novem- 
ber, 1 92 1, for discus- 
sion of the problems 
which had arisen as a 
result of the World War, 
Premier HarasentBaron 
Tomosaburo Kate, 
the Minister of the Im- 
perial Navy, and Prince 
lyesato Tokugawa, 
president of the House 
of Peers, as delegates 
to represent Japan. The 
great commoner, Ta- 
kashi Hara, died in 
Tokyo, at the hand of 
an assassin, at the be- 
ginning of the con- 




es) BROWN BROTHERS 

Takashi Hara 
Late Premier of Japan 



ference. His wise choice of delegates proved to be the 
finishing touch to his career of progressive statesmanship. 
Prince lyesato Tokugawa was heir apparent to the 
Shogunate when the Restoration of 1868 put an abrupt 
end to feudalism. Naturally, he was supposed to retain 



303 

all the dignity and love of pomp, traditionally associated 
with a military lord. At Washington, however, he was 
seen without the slightest trace of self-importance. 
Readily mingling with all kinds of people from home and 
from abroad, he proved that he was more like an Amer- 
ican or European gentleman than like an Oriental prince. 
Apparently, his education at Cambridge, England, had 
made a lasting impression on him. 

Baron Tomosaburo Kato, as chief of the general staff of 
Admiral Togo, distinguished himself in the naval 
engagement of the Japan Sea during the Russo-Japanese 
War by his courageous spirit and resourcefulness in 
tactics. He was a typical warrior of long-established 
fame. But at the conference, dressed in civilian clothes, 
he was a civilian in every respect. It was mainly 
due to his love of peace and to his consummate leadership 
that the government and people of Japan rallied to aid 
in bringing about the so-called four-powers pact and the 
fifteen years' naval holiday. 



INDEX 



Adams, Will, visit to Japan, 95-103. 

Adzuma, Naming of, 22, 23. 

Ainslie, Dr., commissioner, 186. 

Alabama, Confederate ship, 224. 

Alexander, Emperor, 172, 179. 

America makes treaty with Korea, 
24, 266; seeks trade with Japan, 
191-195; makes treaty with 
Japan, 196-208; punishes Cho- 
shiu, 228, 229. 

Americans, at Nagasaki, 170; pris- 
oners in Japan, 194, 195; Opposi- 
tion to, 216-229; in danger at 
Yokohama, 219; at Shimonoseki, 
224; punish Choshiu, 228, 229. 

Anglo- Japanese Alliance, 294-296. 

An-jin Cho, Pilot Street^ 103. 

Arima, Daimio of, 95. 

Arisugawa, Prince, 217, 254; com- 
mands samurai, 233; executive 
of new government, 234; opposes 
rebels, 257, 258. 

Arms, Japanese, 29. 

Army, Japanese, 38, 39, 48, 283. 

Art, Japanese, 34, 35, 51. 

Asan, Chinese troops in, 269; 
Japanese march on, 270; Battle 

. of, 271. 

Ashikaga clan. Regent of, 62, 6^; 
driven out, 68, 69; their treason, 

212. 



Assembly, Deliberative, 245-247. 
Aulick, Commodore, sent to Japan, 

196. 

B 
Belcher, Captain Edward, 189, 190. 
Benjamin Franklin of Japan, 286, 

298. 
Betto, groom, 71, 
Biddle, Commodore, in Japan, 191- 

193- 
Bravest, Prince (Yamato Dake), 

14, 17; Conquests of , 18, 19, 20- 

23; Death of, 23. 
British, seek treaty with Japan, 

214; establish Japanese navy, 

249. 
Buddha, Worship of, 29, 30; 

Statues of, 34, 46. 
Buddhism, introduced into Japan, 

29; despised by samurai, 208. 
Buddhist, priests, 32, 64, 65, 66; 

temples, 46, 112, 113, 238; cere- 
mony, 50; convents, 51, 63, 64, 

69, 70. 
Bungo, Daimio of, 95. 
Butterfly, emblem of Taira clan, sy. 



California, Japanese at, 194. 
Cape of Good Hope, American 
vessels at, 197. 

304 



305 



Caprice, American vessel, 198. 
Castes or class distinctions, 31, 57, 

246; Abolishment of, 282. 
Cathay, Columbus seeks route to, 

65. 

Catherine II., Empress of Russia, 
171. 

Cecille, Admiral, 189, 190. 

Charles II., Marriage of, 168. 

Cheng-yuen, battle ship, 272. 

China, defeated by Ho jo, 58, 59; 
Japan's tribute to, 67; Proposed 
conquest of, 80; assists Korea, 
83, 84; sends embassy to Japan, 
84; trades with Japan, 187; War 
with, 265-279; Japan's treaty 
with, 267; war with Korea, 268; 
is defeated at Asan, 269, 271; 
Capture of king of, 269, 270; 
fights naval battle with Japan, 
272; her loss on the Yellow Sea, 
273; is defeated at Port Arthur, 
275, 276; her cruelty during the 
war, 275, 276; loses Wei-hai- 
wei and Niuchwang, 276; desires 
peace, 276, 277; employs Foster 
as counselor, 278; makes treaty 
with Japan, 279; intellectual 
influence, 286. 

Chinese writing and learning, 31. 

Choshiu clan, Daimio of, 209; feud 
with Satsuma, 218; hostility to 
foreigners, 222, 228, 229; opposes 
government, 223; Plot of, 223, 
224; driven from Kyoto, 225; 
favors foreigners, 229; opposed 
to peace policy, 230, 231; relation 
to new government, 234, 238; 
return their territory to Tenno, 
245, 246; at Port Arthur, 274. 

Christianity, in Japan, 63-67, 79; 
Sto. of Japan — 20. 



persecution of Christians, 104- 
108; Removal of edict against, 
108. 

Chrysanthemum, imperial Japa- 
nese emblem, 167. 

Chu Hsi, 286. 

Civil wars in Japan, 38-40, 41-55, 
56-62, 130-136, 142-167, 207-213, 
214-229, 230-234, 248, 254, 281. 

Civilization of Japanese in Perry's 
time, 207-213; Modern, 262. 

Clans of Japan, 37-40. (See also 
Ashikaga, Choshiu, Fujiwara, 
Hizen, Minamoto, Satsuma, Tai- 
ra, Tokugawa. 

Cleopdtre, French vessel, 190. 

Cloud Cluster, Yamato Dake's 
sword, 17. 

Coins, Japanese, 29. 

Columbia River, Japanese near, 
187. 

Columbus, American vessel, 191. 

Columbus, Christopher, Voyages 
of, 65. 

Conference for Limitation of Arma- 
ment, 302-303. 

Confucius, 286. 

Conscription system established, 
249. 

Conspiracy in Kyoto, 72; of Tosa, 
130-134; against court noble, 
151-164. 

Constitution, People of Japan de- 
mand, 260, 261; published, 263. 

Council of samurai, 282. 

Court noble, conflict with daimio, 
145-167. 

D 

Dai Butsu, Statue of, 46, 51. 

Dai Kun, Title of, 216. 

Daimio (chieftains), 65, 66, 78; 



3o6 



under lyeyasu, 88, 89; of clans, 
92. 93. 94; conspire against 
lyeyasu, 130, 131; Court duties 
of, 143-145; Condemnation of, 
145, 146; Civil strife of, 209, 210; 
meeting to form government, 
232; their impotence, 246; In- 
come of , 247; the class abolished, 
282. 
Deshima, trading post, 106, 109, 

no, III. 

Diana, Russian ship, 179, 180, 215. 
Diet, adopted in Japan, 262, 263; 

Session of, 277, 278. 
Dragon King, 26, 27. 
Dutch in Japan, 95-103, 105, 106, 

109-111, 118-124, 187. 



Edict on Education, 288-289. 
Education in Japan, 31, 249, 250, 

284. 
Electricity in modem Japan, 283. 
Eliza, American vessel, 168, 169. 
Emperors of Japan. See Tenno. 
England, at war with Dutch, 181: 

signs revised treaty, 264; makes 

treaty with Korea, 266; in 

alliance with Japan, 294-296. 
English, trade in Japan, 181-190; 

attacked by Satsuma, 226, 227; 

bombard Kagoshima, 227. 
Enomoto, Flight of, 233; made 

minister to Russia, 233, 234. 
Eta class (outcasts), abolished, 282. 
Eto Shimpei, Rebellion of, 252, 255 
Executions in Japan, 135. 



F 



Feudal system, Fall of, 245, 246. 



Financial conditions in modern 
Japan, 283, 284. 

Flag, Army, 274; Imperial, 280; 
National, 284. 

Foreigners, admitted to Japan, 228, 
229; demand execution of samu- 
rai, 240; visit the Tennd, 241-251 ; 
in Japanese courts, 261-264; sign 
revised treaty, 264. 

Formosa ceded to Japan, 279. 

Foster, John W., counselor for 
China, 278. 

France punishes Choshiu, 228, 229; 
starts Japanese army, 249; makes 
treaty with Korea, 266; inter- 
feres in Japan's treaty with 
China, 279. 

Free lances or ronin, 91, 92, 220, 
222; The forty-seven, 143-167, 
211. 

French Revolution, 172. 

Fuji Yama, volcano, 18, 19. 

Fujiwara clan, 37, 38, 39, 40, 45. 

Fukuzawa, Yukichi, 286, 298. 

Funeral, Japanese, 158. 

Fushimi, Battle of, 232. 



Gama, Vasco da. Voyages of, 65. 

Geisinger, Commodore, 194. 

Gentian, emblem of Minamoto 
clan, 37, 167. 

German Congress adopted in Japan, 
262, 263. 

Germany, makes treaty with Ko- 
rea, 266. 

Glynn, Commander James, 196. 

Godaigo, Emperor, 59-62. 



307 



Golownin, Captain, imprisoned, 

170-180. 
Gordon, Captain, attempts trade 

with Japan, 187. 
Goto, opposes feudal system, 245, 

246. 
Government of Japan, its attitude 

toword foreigners, 214-227; New, 

230-234, 244, 24s, 262-264; aims 
* at reform, 241-251; Experiments 

of, 250. 

H 

Hakodate, Russians at, 171, 175, 
176; Diana at, 180; American 
trade with, 205. 

Hakone Lake, 20. 

Hakone Mountains, 20, 44, 45. 

Hall, Dr., builds residence at 
Yokohama, 219. 

Hara, Takashi, 302. 

Hara-kiri (suicide), Description of, 
58, 157, 236, 238-240; Proposed 
abolition of, 246, 247; of General 
Nogi, 293. 

Harris, Townsend, first American 
consul in Japan, 214; raises 
American flag, 219; in Yedo, 221. 

Heimin class, common people, 246. 

Hemi, Adams* tomb at, 103. 

Hepburn, Dr., missionary, 227. 

Heusken, Murder of, 220, 221. 

Hideyori, appointed prime minis- 
ter, 85; Marriage of, 130. 

Hideyoshi, serves as betto, 71, 72; 
in power, 74-78; becomes prime 
minister, 79, 80-85, 266; Death 
of, 85. 

Hikone, Daimio of, 215. 

Hiogo, Defeat at, 62; Samurai at- 
tack on, 235-237; Port opened at, 
333. 



Hiroshima, Tenn6 at, 277. 
Histories of Japan, 31, 208. 
Hita ni iru, "Down on your knees," 

140, 141. 
Hitotsubashi Tokugawa, becomes 

regent, 229; visits Tenno, 230, 

231; resigns, 231; driven away, 

232, 233. 
Hizen, Dutch at, 114. 
Hizen clan, 185; attack foreigners, 

235-237- 

Ho jo, assists Yoritomo, 43; be- 
comes regent's guardian, 52; 
in power, 53-58; loses power, 
S9-6i. 

Hokkaido, Russians at, 171, 180; 
American trade with, 205; Eno- 
moto flees to, 233. 

Holland, trade with Japan, 67, 168, 
169, 209; wars with England, 
181; a part of France, 186; 
punishes Choshiu, 228, 229. 

Hollyhock, emblem of lyeyasu, 167. 

Hondo, Conquest of, 23; Dutch at, 
114; American trade with, 205; 
Location of, 224. 

Hong Kong, Aulick at, 196; Perry 
at, 203. 

House of Lords, Japanese, 262, 263. 

House of Representatives, Japa- 
nese, 262, 263. 



Ichijo, Mutsuhito's marriage with, 

282. 
li Naosuke, favors lyemochi, 215; 

his attitude toward samurai, 221; 

Murder of, 222. 
Inari, god of rice, 77. 
Inland Sea, Battle of, 48, 49. 
Inouye, goes to England, 222; be- 



3o8 



comes minister of state, 223; 
sues for peace, 229. 

Ito Shunske, goes to England, 222; 
appointed prime minister, 223; 
sues for peace, 228; governor of 
Hiogo, 237, 238; visits Europe, 
262; appointed admiral of Japan- 
ese fleet, 272; confers with Li 
Hung Chang, 278; opposes Oku- 
ma, 298. 

Iwakura, leader in revolution, 217; 
favors union of clans, 231; execu- 
tive officer of new government, 
234; opposes feudal system, 245, 
246; at Tokyo, 253. 

lyemitsu, regent, 132. 

lyemochi, regent, 215; attitude to- 
ward samurai, 219-229; Death of, 
229. 

lyesato Tokugawa, 302, 303. 

lyeyasu, Descent of, 86; becomes 
real ruler of Japan, 87-94; his 
policy toward the Dutch, 98, 99, 
101-103, 109-117; opposed to 
Christianity, 105; Temple of, 
105; Conspiracy against, 130, 
131; Customs at time' of, 135; 
Heirs of, 137; Policy of seclusion 
of, 168, 190; Descendants of, 
207-210, 215, 281; Opposition to 
family of, 209-213. 



Java, captured by the English, 185, 

186. 
Jimmu, first emperor of Japan, 

9, 12, 14. 
Jingu, Empress, invades Korea, 

24-28, 81, 266. 
Jinrikisha coolies, 248. 
Judges, Japanese, 126, 127. 



Jurisdiction over foreigners, Japan- 
ese, 261-264. 

K 

Kagoshima, Americans at, 189; 
English bombard, 227; Shimadzu 
Saburo at, 253; arsenal captured, 
256, 257; Capture of, 258. 

Kamakura, Minamoto and Taira 
clans near, 45, 46, 47, 49, 55, 60. 

Kamchatka, Russians at, 172, 180. 

Kanagawa, Foreigners in, 215, 219. 

Kato, Tomosaburo, 302, 303. 

Kazoku class formed, 246, 253. 

Keiki, becomes regent, 229, 230; 
resigns, 231; driven away, 232, 

233. 

Kerai or councilors, 210. 

Kido, favors union of clans, 218, 
231; his relation to the new 
government, 234; his influence at 
court, 241-243; opposed to feudal 
system, 245, 246; opposed to 
Korean war, 248. 

Kim ok Kyun, Murder of, 266. 

Kimono, cotton gowns, 222. 

King, C. W., negotiates for treaty, 
189; attacked by Satsuma, 227. 

Kiushiu, Rebellion at, 14-16; Con- 
quest of, 23; Jingu's army at, 26; 
Pirates near, 38; Taira escapes 
to, 47; St. Francis Xavier preach- 
es at, 66; Rebels at, 255; Char- 
acter of country around, 257, 
258. 

Kobe, Attack on, 240. 

Kokura, Dutch at, 112. 

Komei, Death of Tenn6, 230; 
Seclusion of, 280, 281. 

Korea, Description of, 24, 25; 
makes treaty with America, 24, 



3<^9 



266; First invasion of, 24-28; 
Japanese claim to, 28; sends 
missionaries to Japan, 29, 30; 
Second invasion of, 79-85; Feel- 
ing against Japan in, 84; Pro- 
posed conquest of, 247, 248; 
insults Japan, 265; Poor govern- 
ment of, 266; makes treaties with 
various nations, 266; considered 
Japanese province, 266; Rebel- 
lion in, 267; Japanese war in, 
268, 269, 270; declared independ- 
ent, 279. 

Kowshing, English vessel, 268 

Kozoku class or princes, 246. 

Kuge class or court nobles, 217, 
260; abolished, 282. 

Kurile Islands, Russians at, 172, 
180. 

Kwammu, Emperor, 33. 

Kyoto, capital, 34, 35; Battles at, 
39, 40, 62, 71, 225; Minamoto 
and Taira clans at, 45, 47, 53, 60, 
61; plundered, 63; Chinese am- 
bassadors in, 84; Dutch at, 115; 
Importance of, 209, 210; Feeling 
toward America in, 217; For- 
eigners in, 241-251; Railroad to, 
255, 256; Tenno, palace in, 280. 



Lacquer ware, Japanese, 34, 35. 
Lagoda, Wreck of, 194 
Liake Hakone, Situation of, 20. 
Laws, Execution of, 89, 90; against 

foreigners, 106, 107. 
Laxman at Hakodate, 171, 172. 
Letter, of Polk to Emperor, 191, 

192, 201, 202. 
Lexington, American vessel, 203. 



Li Hung Chang, advises Korea, 
266; confers with Japan, 278, 

Liao-tung, Japanese at, 273; de- 
manded by Japan, 279. 

Light-the-Fire, Adventures of, 10- 
13- 

Loo Choo Islands, Perry at, 198, 
203. 

Lord of Golden Water Gourds, 
74-78. 

M 

Macao, Japanese at, 187, 188. 
MacDougal, Captain David, 224. 
Macedonian, American vessel, 203. 
Magellan Straits, Dutch at, 96, 97, 
Manchuria, Invasion of, 272. 
Mandarins, 267, 
Marco Polo, visits China, 65. 
Mare Island, Japanese at, 194. 
Matsukata, Marquis, 297. 
Matsumai, Russians at, 177-179. 
Matsura, Judge, 127, 128, 129. 
Mauritius, American vessels at, 197. 
Mayhay, Dutch admiral, 96. 
Meiji, Emperor, 287, 288, 289, 

296, 297. 
Meiji, "progress," 282. 
Mencius, 286. 

Metal work, Japanese, 29, 34, 51, 
Mikado, Tennd, 216, 
Mikadoism, 285-293. 
Min, prime minister of Korea, 267. 
Minamoto clan, 36-40; defeated, 

41-46; in power, 47-51; Downfall 

of, 52-55. 61. 
Ministers, appointed, 29-34. 
Mississippi, American vessel, 197, 

198, 203. 
Mito, Daimioof, 118, 208, 215, 217, 

221. 
Miya, princes, 217, 282. 



310 



Moro, Captain, plots against Japan, 

io6, 107. 
Morrison, American vessel, 188, 

189. 
Moukden, Proposed capture of, 

276. 
Mutsuhito, Emperor, 142, 230, 277; 

Birth and education of, 280, 281; 

Character and marriage of, 282; 

Progress during his reign, 282- 

284. 

N 

Nagasaki, Dutch trading post, 109; 

Americans at, 169, 170; English 

at, 181. 
Nara, Capital at, 34, 60. 
Navy of modern Japan, 283. 
New Japan, 244. 

Newspapers in Japan, 260, 261, 300. 
Nihon bashi, bridge, 120. 
Ninigi, first ruler of Japan, 9, 10, 12, 
Nippon, name of Japan, 12. 
Niuchwang, captured, 276. 
Nobles, Election and powers of, 

263. 
Nobunaga, becomes general, 68; 

becomes vice regent, 69-72; his 

death, 73; Opposition to, 79. 
Nogi, General, 292, 293. 
Norimono, chair, iii. 



Odawara, Location of, 20. 

Okubo, favors union of clans, 218, 
231 ; appointed minister to Korea, 
234; his influence at court, 241- 
243; opposed to feudal system, 
245, 246; opposed to Korean war, 
248; introduces conscription, 249, 
352; assassinated, 260. 



Okuma, prime minister, 262; at- 
tempt to assassinate, 285; politi- 
cal services, 298, 299. 

Omura, Daimio of, 95, 183. 

Ono, purposes to abolish hara-kiri, 
246; murdered, 247. 

Osaka, built, 34, 64; Siege of, 69- 
71; Court at, 99; Dutch at, 115; 
Situation of, 125, 126; Opening of 
port at, 232. 

Otori, Japanese minister to Korea, 
267, 268; orders Chinese to with- 
draw, 269. 

Outward Island, Dutch trading 
post, 109. 

Oyama, Marshal, at Ta-lien-wan, 
274; captures Wei-hai-wei, 276. 



Palace, Japanese, 41, 80. 

Parliament, Japanese people de- 
mand, 260, 261; granted, 263. 

Pechili, Situation of Gulf of, 273. 

Peking, Japanese minister at, 268; 
Yamagata's march to, 273. 

Pellew, Captain, in Japan, 181-184. 

Pembroke fired upon, 224. 

Pension granted to daimio and 
samurai, 247, 248. 

Perry, Commodore, makes treaty 
with Japan, 196-206; Japan at 
time of, 207-213; his influence 
on the Japanese, 280, 281. 

Phaeton, British ship, 181, 187. 

Ping-yang, Korean king at, 83; 
Chinese troops at, 271; Capture 
of, 272. 

Pinto introduces guns, 66. 

Plymouth, American vessel, 197, 
198. 



3" 



Polk, President, his letter to Japan, 
191, 192, 201, 202. 

Port Arthur, Location of, 273; cap- 
tured by Japanese, 274; 275; 
Slaughter at, 276, 293. 

Portsmouth, Peace of, 294, 295. 

Portuguese, in China, 65, 66; in 
Japan, 65, 66, 95; opposed to 
Dutch, 98, 100, loi; missionaries 
in Japan, 104; excluded from 
Japan, 107. 

Powhatan, American vessel, 203. 

Preble, rescues American prisoners, 
194-196. 

Progress, Japanese, 51, 167, 228, 
259-264, 282-284. 

Put-the-Fire-Out, Adventures of, 
10-13. 

R 

Raffles, Sir Stamford, Governor of 
Java, 185-187. 

Rai Sanyo, historian, 208. 

Railroads in Japan, 255, 256, 283. 

Rebellion at Kiushiu, 14-16; of 
1877, 56, 57; of Christians, 108; 
of samurai prevented, 249; of 
Eto Shimpei, 252, 255; of Sat- 
suma, 255-258. 

Red Cross Society in China, 275. 

Reforms in Japan, 265, 297, 298. 

Regents, Power of, 55; Shadow, 55. 

Resanoff, ambassador to Japan, 
172. 

Revolution in Japan, 217, 218. 

Rice, staple food, 77. 

Richardson, Murder of, 226, 227. 

Rikord, Russian captain, 179, 180. 

R6nin (free lances), 91, 92; In- 
crease in numbers of, 220; 
Murder of li Naosuke by, 222; 
The forty-seven, 143-167, 211. 



Roosevelt, President, 294. 
Russians in Japan, 171-180, 291; 

desire treaty with Japan, 2x4; 

make treaty with Korea, 266. 
Russo-Japanese war, 291, 294, 296. 



S 

Saghalien granted to Russia, 220. 

Saigo Takamori, favors union of 
clans, 218; Plot of, 223; com- 
mands samurai, 233; his relation 
to samurai, 247, 248, 249; Story 
of, 252-258; RebelUon of, 255- 
258; Death of, 258. 

Sakura, castle gate, 222. 

Samarang, British vessel, 189, 190. 

Samurai class (soldiers formed, 57, 
58; Idleness of, 79, 80; under 
lyeyasu, 90; their influence in 
clans, 92, 93; Privileges of, 135; 
Character of, 143-146; oppose re- 
gent, 146, 147; Loyalty of, 152; 
Heroism of, 147-167; murder 
court noble, 165; in 1854, 207- 
213; opposed to Tokugawa clan, 
210-213, 216; their attitude to- 
ward foreigners, 215, 216, 219- 
221; opposed to treaty with 
America, 217; Patriotism of, 223; 
of Choshiu and Satsuma clans, 
224, 225; beaten by the English, 
228; opposed to northern clans, 
233; their relation to the new 
government, 234, 245-249, 252- 
258, 262-264; attack on foreign- 
ers, 235-237; Clan feehngof, 239; 
their eagerness for knowledge, 
249, 250; conciliated by govern- 
ment, 256, 257; Last of the Old, 
258; opposed to reform, 259; 



312 



control newspapers, 260-264; 
their plans of revenge, 265, 266; 
at Port Arthur, 274; resent inter- 
ference of the powers, 279; in 
Mutsuhito's reign, 282; Prospect 
for modern, 284; studies of, 286. 
San jo, leader in revolution, 217; 
favors union of clans, 231; his 
relation to the new government, 

234. 

Saratoga, American vessel, 197, 198, 
203. 

Satsuma clan, hostile to lyeyasu, 
209, 210; feud with Choshiu, 218; 
opposed to government, 223; 
attack on English, 226-228; in 
favor of admitting foreigners, 
229; opposed to union of clans, 
230, 231; opposed to northern 
clans, 233; their relation to the 
new government, 234, 238, 252- 
258; their territory returned to 
government, 245, 246; Rebellion 
of, 255-258; in command at 
Port Arthur, 274. 

Satsuma ware, 84. 

Schools in Japan, 249, 250. 

Shanghai, Kim ok Kyun murdered 
at, 266. 

Shan-tung peninsula. Location of, 
273, 274; Oyama at, 276. 

Shikoku, Pirates near, 38. 

Shimabara, Battle at, 108. 

Shimadzu Saburo, retires to Kago- 
shima, 253. 

Shimoda, American trade with, 205 ; 
Harbor of, 215, 216. 

Shimonoseki, Straits of, 223, 224, 
237; Peace negotiations at, 278; 
Treaty of, 279 

Shinto religion, 208, 



Shizoku class, samurai 246; Re- 
spect for modern, 284. 

Shizuoka, Keiki retires to, 233. 

Shufeldt, Commodore, signs treaty 
with Korea, 266. 

Siebold, Dr. von, in Japan, 112- 
117. 

Sill, J. N. B., minister to Korea, 
267. 

Soshi class, vagabonds, 278, 279. 

Soiil, captured by Japanese, 83; 
Japanese trade with, 265; Chi- 
nese and Japanese at, 268, 269. 

Southampton, English vessel, 203. 

Spanish missionaries in Japan, 104. 

Spies, Official, 82; under lyeyasu, 
88, 89; of court noble, 147-155. 

Stewart, Arrest of , 170, 171. 

St. Francis Xavier, in Japan, 65, 
66, 67. 

Students, Japanese, 250. 

Superstition in Japan, 76-78. 

Supply, American vessel, 197, 198, 
203. 

Susquehanna, American vessel, 196, 
198, 203. 

Swords, Japanese, 56, 57. 



Taiko Sama, 85. (See Hideyoshi.) 
Taira clan, 37, 38, 39, 40; in power, 

41-46; defeated, 46, 47, 54. 
Taisho Era, 297-302. 
Ta-lien-wan, Japanese army at, 

273, 274. 
Tatung River, Korean king takes 

refuge at, 83; Chinese troops at, 

271. 
Telegraph in Japan, 206, 257, 283. 
Telephone in Japan, 283. 



3^3 



Tennd, name of Japanese emperor, 
12; Seclusion of, 32-34, 40; 
Impotence of, 55; Worship of, 
208; Komei makes concessions to 
Americans, 218, 219; Proposed 
capture of Komei, 225; Mutsu- 
hito leaves seclusion, 241-251; 
Mutsuhito's powers, 263. 

Tenshi Sama, Japanese ruler, 12. 

Ting-yuen, battle ship, 272. 

Tojin, foreigners, 216. 

Tokugawa clan (see lyeyasu); 
Opposition to rule of, 208, 209, 
211, 225, 229; Power and- officers 
of, 210, 212; Samurai of, 213; 
Opening of ports belonging to, 
213; concessions to foreigners, 
215, 216; loses its influence, 
217, 218; protects foreigners, 
220; Defeat of troops of, 223; 
Resignation of , 230, 231; defeated 
at Fushimi, 232; its relation to 
the new government, 233. 

Tokugawa. (See lyesato.) 

Tokyo or Yedo, Temple at, 30; 
lyeyasu builds home at, 86; 
Dutch at. III, 118; Fire in, 118- 
121; Daimio quarter in, 144; 
Conspirators arrive at, 162; 
Street in, 184; Samurai journey 
to, 219; Foreign ministers at, 
220, 229; Surrender of, 233; 
becomes capital, 244, 282; Sat- 
suma clan at, 253. 

Torture, Government resorts to, 
^33, 134- 

Tosa clan. Conspiracy and death of 
daimio of, 130-135; its hostility 
to the government, 209; wishes 
to appoint regent, 225; returns 
territory to government, 246. 



Trade with Japan, Foreigners' 
attempts at, 168-173; England's 
attempts at, 181-190; United 
States' attempts at, 191-195; 
Success of U. So in, 196-206. 

Trade with Soiil, Japanese, 265. 

Treaties, of America with Korea, 
24, 266; of America with Japan, 
205, 214; signing of new, 219; 
with America ratified, 234, 241; 
Revision of foreign, 261-264; of 
Japan with China, 279. 

Tsing Tau, 301. 

Tsuji, convicted of theft, 125-128; 
pardoned, 129. 

Tycoon, Regent takes title of, 216. 

U 

United States, makes treaty with 
Korea, 24, 266; seeks trade with 
Japan, 191-195; makes treaty 
with Japan, 196-208; punishes 
Choshiu clan, 228, 229; aids 
Japan, 290. 

Uraga, Americans at, 204, 205. 

Uyeno Heights, Battle of, 233. 



Vandalia, American vessel, 203. 

Venice, Japanese embassy to, 
66, 67. 

Vincennes, American vessel, 191, 
IQ3- 

W 

Wang Yang Ming, 286. 

War junks, 25, 26. 

War, with Kiushiu, 14-18; with 
Eastern nations, 18-20; with 
China, 265-279; of Japanese in 
Korea, 268-270. (See also Civil 
wars.) 



314 



Waseda University, 299, 300. 
Weapons, Japanese, 16. 
Wei-hai-wei, Chinese retreat to, 
273; captured by Japanese, 276. 
Wistaria, emblem of Fujiwara clan, 

37. 
Women, Japanese, 21, 22, 139, 142, 

154, 156, 157. 
Writing, Japanese and Chinese, 31. 
Wyoming, war ship, 224. 

X 

Xavier, St. Francis, missionary in 
Japan, 65, 66, 67. 



Yalu River, Japanese at, 272. 

Yamagata, Field Marshal, 272, 297. 

Yamagi, commander at Port Ar- 
thur, 274, 275. 

Yamato, name of Japan, 23. 

Yamato Dake, Story of, 14-19; 
Naming of, 15-17, 19; Conquests 
of, 20-23; Death of, 23. 

Yamato Damashii, rallying cry, 23, 
209, 218, 281. 

Yashiki or residences, 155/163, 222. 



Yedo. See Tokyo. 

Yedo Bay, lyeyasu made governoi 
of, 86; Perry at, 197, 198, 199. 

Yellow Sea, Naval battle in, 272; 
Japanese become masters of, 
273- 

Yodo River, Taira flees to, 47; 
Battle at, 76. 

Yokohama, Situation of, 20; Perry's 
negotiations at, 205; Americans 
remove to, 219; Murder of 
foreigners in, 219, 220; Ministers 
remove to, 221; Feeling against 
Satsuma in, 227. 

Yokosuka, Situation of, 103. 

Yoritomo, leader of Minamoto clan, 
42, 43; Flight of, 44-46; becomes 
regent, 50, 51; Death of, 52. 

Yoshihito, 297. 

Yoshitsune (Young Ox), Youth of, 

42-45; Story of, 47-50- 
Yuan, Chinese minister to Korea, 
. 267. 



Zipangu, name given to China by 
Marco Polo, 65. 



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